Furkan Karabay imprisoned pending trial; T24 reporter arrested while covering student protest; RTÜK fines opposition channels; Evrim Kepenek sentenced to 10 months in prison; jailed Swedish journalist Joakim Medin released

Furkan Karabay imprisoned pending trial

Journalist Furkan Karabay was imprisoned pending trial on 15 May due to his social media comments on the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and other investigations against Istanbul municipalities held by the main opposition CHP. Access to his X account, @FurkannKarabay, was also withheld a day later upon a decision of the same judgeship that ordered his imprisonment.

Karabay was arrested on charges of "insulting the president" and "targeting public officials involved in counterterrorism efforts" in the morning hours of 15 May. 

Karabay’s lawyer, Enes Hikmet Ermener, stated that the investigation targeting his client was based on his client’s social media posts and comments he made on a YouTube channel. During police questioning, Karabay was presented with questions regarding his reporting on investigations into the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) and the concept of “urban reconciliation.” The term refers to an election strategy adopted by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (later renamed DEM) to support opposition CHP candidates in various districts during the March 2024 local elections. This strategy has since been cited in terrorism-related prosecutions against İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and the mayors of Esenyurt and Şişli districts.

“Referring to the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor or the prosecutor’s office—public institutions known by everyone—in a news report is not a crime,” Ermener said in a post on X on 15 May. “What is currently being investigated and labeled a crime is, in fact, journalism.”

Jailed Swedish journalist Joakim Medin released 

Swedish journalist Joakim Medin, imprisoned in Turkey since late March on "insulting the president" and "terrorism" charges, was released on 16 May. Medin left Turkey for Sweden on the same day. 

A correspondent for the Swedish daily newspaper Dagens ETC, Medin had arrived in Turkey to cover protests against the arrest and imprisonment of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The journalist was arrested after landing in Istanbul and sent to pre-trial detention on 28 March. 

Two cases were then filed against Medin. In the first trial, in which he was charged with "insulting the president," an Ankara court convicted Medin and sentenced him to 11 months and 7 days in prison at the end of the first hearing held on 16 April. The court deferred the sentence and ruled for his release from pre-trial detention but he remained behind bars awaiting trial in his second case. 

That second case on terrorism charges will begin on 25 September 2025. The Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court, which will oversee the trial, ruled for Medin's release following an application from lawyers from Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) representing Medin for his release upon the acceptance of the indictment

T24 reporter Can Öztürk arrested with handcuffs behind his back while covering student protest

Can Öztürk, a reporter for popular online news portal T24, was forcibly detained while covering a student protest on 13 May at İstanbul’s Boğaziçi University. The protest targeted an event featuring controversial Islamic preacher Nureddin Yıldız.

On the evening of 13 May, students gathered to protest the event, which was organized by the university’s Islamic Studies student club. As the protesting students attempted to march, they were blocked by private security personnel and riot police, who surrounded the crowd.

Öztürk, who was reporting on the protest, was also encircled by police. According to T24, despite identifying himself as a journalist, Öztürk's press card was torn up and he was choked. He was handcuffed from behind and arrested along with 96 students.

After giving his statement to the police, Öztürk was referred to the prosecutor’s office, which sought his imprisonment on charges of “resisting to prevent the execution of duty.” On 14 May, the court released him under judicial control measures.

Meanwhile, six of the 96 detained students were jailed pending trial on the same charge.

RTÜK fines opposition channels

Turkey’s media regulator, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), issued fines to several broadcasters on 15 May over recent coverage that it claimed has violated broadcasting principles.

Halk TV and SZC TV were fined for their reporting on the assault against Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chair Özgür Özel, who was attacked on 4 May outside the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM) in Istanbul after attending a memorial ceremony for HDP MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder. Some channels claimed that Özel’s vehicle was not allowed into the AKM parking lot when he arrived for the ceremony, suggesting this may have left him exposed to the attack.

RTÜK said both Halk TV and SZC TV aired the allegations about the parking incident without verifying its accuracy or seeking comment from Istanbul Deputy Police Chief Murat Özbek and promoted a “conspiracy theory” narrative.

The Council also imposed an administrative fine on Tele1 for a program in which Turkish Cypriot journalist Ayşemden Akın talked about allegations implicating high-profile political figures in Turkey. Akın has faced threats and intimidation following her recent reporting on allegations made by Cemil Önal, a former associate of Halil Falyalı who was executed in the Netherlands soon after speaking to Akın. Falyalı, a Turkish Cypriot tycoon who owned several hotels and casinos there, was himself shot to death in an attack in 2022. 

The RTÜK decision claimed that the privacy of the private lives of Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım's children were violated as a result of the Tele1 broadcast.

Threats against İsmail Arı over his reporting

Gökhan Göz, who is alleged to be the “vault” of Neslim Güngen, who was jailed on charges of money laundering and alleged links to the Şahinler Gang, was arrested and sent to prison following BirGün's report titled “Yargıda rüşvet verip tutuklanmadı iddiası” (Allegations of bribery in court and  not being jailed).

However, İsmail Arı, the BirGün reporter who wrote the article, began receiving threats after Göz's arrest. A WhatsApp message sent to Arı read, “I swear I will have you taken from your home. Do n’o kill yourself, kid. Ankara is a small place, we have your address...”

Another message was sent from a different number: “Are you accepting guests? Keep going and see what happens. You will see me in your dreams...”

Arı was also threatened over the phone, and a list containing the personal information of his close relatives was sent to him. Meanwhile, some of Arı's relatives were also called and threatened over the phone.

Arı filed a complaint with the Çankaya Police Department against the individuals who threatened him and whose phone numbers were included in the threatening messages.

İlave TV presenter Arif Kocabıyık imprisoned pending trial

Arif Kocabıyık, the İlave TV presenter known for his street interviews on social media, was jailed again on 15 May after being released on 14 May. Kocabıyık, who was referred to the courthouse, was sent to pre-trial detention once again on the charge of “insulting the president.”

The General Directorate of Security (EGM) stated in a statement regarding Arif Kocabıyık that it had determined that he had used insulting remarks directed at President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during an interview published on Instagram.

Kocabıyık, who was imprisoned on 7 May, was released on 14 May.

Diyarbakır court keeps judicial control measures in place in the trial of 19 journalists 

The sixth hearing in the trial of 19 journalists who are charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court on 15 May 2025.

While journalist Ömer Çelik was present in the courtroom, Aziz Oruç's lawyer Hazal Sümeli participated in the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system from İstanbul.

The court decided to grant Aziz Oruç and his lawyer time until the next hearing to present their defense against the combined case file, to lift the travel ban on the journalists and the judicial control decision, and to reject the request for the return of the seized digital materials.

The trial was adjourned until 18 September 2025.

Evrim Kepenek sentenced to 10 months in prison

An İstanbul court sentenced bianet editor Evrim Kepenek to 10 months in prison on the charge of “violating the confidentiality of the investigation” at the end of the fourth hearing of her trial held in İstanbul on 14 May 2025.

Kepenek's prosecution stems from her September 2022 coverage of the death of a 2-year-old child who was allegedly assaulted sexually in Istanbul's Beylikdüzü disrict. In her court defense, she said she adhered to the ethical standards of journalism in her coverage of the case and added that at the time of her reporting, the incident was not subject to a confidentiality order. 

The court sentenced Evrim Kepenek to 10 months in prison for “violating the confidentiality of the investigation” at the end of the hearing. The sentence was deferred.

Trial of İsmail Arı and Yaşar Gökdemir adjourned until December

The second hearing in the trial of BirGün newspaper reporter İsmail Arı and editor-in-chief Yaşar Gökdemir, who were charged with “defamation” following a complaint by MHP Mersin Deputy Levent Uysal and his wife Ece Uysal, was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 13 May 2025.

Neither the journalists nor their lawyer attended the hearing.

The Uysals' lawyer, who was present at the hearing, said, “Our complaint continues, and the missing issues must be resolved.”

The court decided to issue a letter rogatory to obtain information and documents regarding the judicial investigation in the Parliament, which is mentioned in the indictment and is claimed to be the source of the news content.

The trial was adjourned until 4 November 2025.

The journalists are on trial over a news story titled "Kuzey Kıbrıs’ta MHP'li vekilin talimatıyla ‘veriler silindi’ iddiası” (The allegation that ‘data deleted’ on orders from MHP deputy in Northern Cyprus).

One of the four journalists on trial in İzmir acquitted

The first hearings in the separate trials of Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Semra Turan, Tolga Güney, Delal Akyüz, and JinNews reporter Melike Aydın, who were detained in the same operation and charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İzmir 13th High Criminal Court on 12 May 2025.

Turan did not attend the hearing, while Akyüz, Güney, Aydın, and their lawyers were present.

The trial of Semra Turan was heard first. Turan's lawyer stated that the witness statements and digital materials submitted to the case file were insufficient to support the charges and requested her acquittal.

The court ruled that there was no evidence beyond reasonable doubt that Semra Turan had committed the crime she was accused of and acquitted her.

The trial of journalists Melike Aydın and Tolga Güney was then heard. After hearing the testimony of open witness Buse Aslan, the prosecutor’s office presented their final opinion on the case to the court, requesting that the two journalists be sentenced to prison for “membership in a terrorist organization.”

The court accepted the lawyers' request to prepare a defense against the opinion on the case and adjourned the trial until 18 July 2025.

Delal Akyüz, the last of the journalists to be tried, stated that he did not accept the statements of the open witness Buse Aslan and that his work was part of his journalistic activities.

The prosecutor then announced their final opinion on the case and requested a prison sentence for Akyüz on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.”

The court decided to keep in place the judicial control measures against Akyüz, accepted the lawyers' request for more time to prepare their defense, and adjourned the trial until 18 July 2025.

Police intervention against journalist Özge Demir brought on parliamentary agenda

Labor Party İstanbul Deputy İskender Bayhan submitted a written question to Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç regarding the police intervention against journalist Özge Demir, who was covering the second hearing in the Pınar Bulunmaz murder trial in Siverek, Şanlıurfa, on 11 April 2025. Bayhan asked, “What measures does your ministry plan to take to prevent journalists monitoring judicial processes on behalf of the public from being subjected to such arbitrary and unlawful interventions?”

In his motion, Bayhan stated that journalist Özge Demir, who was covering the hearing, was physically assaulted by the police, her phone was confiscated, and she was held at the police station for hours without an official arrest warrant, even though she did not record any audio or video footage.

At least 32 journalists and media workers in prison

Following the imprisonment of journalist Furkan Karabay, as of 16 May 2025, there are at least 32 journalists and media workers in pre-trial detention or imprisonment in Turkey.

The full list can be accessed here.