Yıldız Tar released pending trial; RTÜK fines Tele 1 and Halk TV; Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu files criminal complaint against Nevşin Mengü and Dr. Emrah Gülsunar; Yelda Çiçek acquitted

Yıldız Tar released pending trial

Kaos GL Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar, who was imprisoned pending trial on 21 February on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” as part of an investigation launched into the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), was released from Silivri Prison on 30 May.

Tar was detained during a raid on his home on 18 February as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the HDK. He was imprisoned pending trial on 21 February on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” and sent to Silivri Prison.

Among those detained during the raids and later jailed are journalists Elif Akgül and Ercüment Akdeniz.

Indictment filed against Sedef Kabaş for “spreading false information”

An indictment has been filed against journalist Sedef Kabaş on the charge of “spreading false information” over a social media post she shared about Fatih Karahan, the President of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (TCMB).

The indictment, prepared by the Press Crimes Investigation Office of the İstanbul Anatolia Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, states that in her post on 8 February 2024, Kabaş shared a statement by Karahan suggesting that electricity and natural gas prices could increase after the election.

During the investigation, Kabaş stated that she did not own the remark, but shared Karahan's statement about price hikes on her own page without any additions, within the scope of press and freedom of expression.

RTÜK fines Tele 1 and Halk TV

Turkey’s media regulator, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), has issued administrative fines to Halk TV and TELE1 over recent broadcasts that allegedly violated broadcasting principles.

Halk TV received two separate fines. The first was over comments made during the program "Gökmen Karadağ ile Açıkça," which criticized a pro-government construction company that accused an opposition-held municipality in İstanbul of receiving bribes. RTÜK ruled that the broadcast did not adhere to the principles of truth and accuracy. İlhan Taşcı, a RTÜK member from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), wrote on his X account that instead of advising the company to exercise its right to reply and seek correction, RTÜK appeared to take its claims at face value. He also pointed out that the council acted swiftly on the company’s complaint while allegedly ignoring other petitions for months.

The second fine to Halk TV concerned remarks made during "Seda Selek ile Neden Sonuç," which questioned Turkey’s progress in education and technology. RTÜK claimed the comments were aired without sufficient factual basis.

TELE1 was also fined for criticisms made against RTÜK Chair Ebubekir Şahin during the "Sabah Pusulası" program. The council said the remarks violated principles of respect for personal dignity and privacy, stating they went beyond permissible criticism and were degrading in nature.

The indictment against Elfazi Toral and Sema Korkmaz accepted

The indictment filed against journalists Elfazi Toral and Sema Korkmaz, who were detained while covering a demonstration, has been accepted.

Edanur İbrahimoğlu, former co-spokesperson of the Youth Assembly of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), was subjected to police violence during a press statement on 7 December 2023. Edanur İbrahimoğlu's exposure to police violence was protested by the DEM Party İstanbul Provincial Organization on 8 December 2023. JinNews reporter Elfazi Toral and journalist Sema Korkmaz, who followed the statement, and Edanur İbrahimoğlu were forcefully detained during the statement.

In the indictment's evaluation section, Sema Korkmaz and Edanur İbrahimoğlu's chanting of the slogan “Pressure cannot intimidate us” was cited as a crime. It was requested that Edanur İbrahimoğlu and Sema Korkmaz be punished for “participating in an unlawful assembly and march without weapons and failing to disperse voluntarily despite warnings.” Elfazi Toral was charged with “participating in illegal meetings and marches without weapons and refusing to disperse despite warnings” and “resisting to obstruct the execution of duty.”

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu files criminal complaint against Nevşin Mengü and Dr. Emrah Gülsunar

Former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has filed a criminal complaint against journalist Nevşin Mengü on charges of “insult” and “defamation” following her remarks about an ongoing legal case concerning alleged irregularities during the main opposition party’s November 2023 congress.

The case, currently before a court in Ankara, could potentially annul the results of the 2023 congress in which Özgür Özel was elected to replace Kılıçdaroğlu as CHP chair. Such a ruling would pave the way for Kılıçdaroğlu’s reinstatement and the reestablishment of the previous party assembly.

In a recent YouTube broadcast, Mengü claimed, citing unnamed sources, that the prosecutor handling the case contacted Kılıçdaroğlu and said the case would be dropped if he confirmed that no irregularities occurred during the congress. According to Mengü, Kılıçdaroğlu refused to provide such a statement.

Kılıçdaroğlu also filed a complaint against academic Emrah Gülsunar, who publicly criticized him based on Mengü’s claims.

Those who attacked the Haber Global team arrested

The Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the attack on the Haber Global team, which was conducting news coverage in the area following the explosion in İstanbul’s Güngören district on 28 May.

Two suspects, including the brother of the owner of the workplace where the explosion took place, who had previous criminal records for “threat” and “insult” were taken into custody as part of the investigation.

ETHA reporter Ömer Akgün detained

Etkin Haber Agency reporter Ömer Akgün was detained on 27 May on the grounds that an arrest warrant had been issued against him by a court.

Akgün was taken to the Aksaray Police Headquarters and released on 28 May.

Arif Kocabıyık jailed again after release

Arif Kocabıyık, a presenter on İlave TV known for his street interviews on social media, was sent to pre-trial detention again on 28 May.

Kocabıyık was detained on charges of “making insulting remarks against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan” and was subsequently arrested by a duty judge on May 7 and sent to prison.

Kocabıyık, who was released on May 14, was re-arrested the following day and sent to prison. Kocabıyık was then released on 26 May.

Altan Sancar summoned to give statement for “inciting hatred and enmity among the public”

Journalist Altan Sancar has been summoned by prosecutor's office on the suspicion of “inciting hatred and enmity among the public” over a post he shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account.

Sancar's lawyer, Yeşu Beğtaş, announced the investigation against his client.

The post in question was a commentary made by Sancar following the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu on 19 March. In the post, Sancar used the following statements: “I have neither seen nor read of an era that never ends. The issue is where you stand.”

Furkan Karabay's new X account also blocked

The new X (Twitter) account of imprisoned journalist Furkan Karabay has been blocked on grounds of “protecting security and public order.”

Karabay was jailed on charges of “insulting the president” and “marking those assigned with the fight against terrorism” over a video he prepared on YouTube and social media posts.

Karabay's previous social media account had also been blocked.

YouTube blocked the accounts of five journalists

YouTube has blocked access to the channels of several Kurdish journalists in Turkey, reportedly in response to a request from Turkish authorities. The affected journalists include Günay Aslan, Amed Dicle, Erdal Er, Fehim Işık, and Cahit Mervan.

According to a statement published by the Mezopotamya News Agency on 29 May, the journalists criticized the move as a violation of press freedom and the public’s right to access information. “As the public’s right to be informed is denied and press freedom is trampled, journalists’ ability to work freely is also being taken away,” the statement read.

The journalists stated that YouTube informed them their channels had been restricted in Turkey following a complaint by the Turkish government. They condemned the decision as a blow to press freedom and expressed concern over what they described as a broader pattern of pressure, censorship, and reduced visibility targeting Kurdish media on digital platforms.

While acknowledging Turkey’s significance as a major market for social media companies, the journalists criticized platforms for complying with what they described as censorship demands motivated by political pressure. “YouTube’s cooperation with efforts to suppress Kurdish media is deeply troubling,” they said, calling on the platform to reverse the decision.

Sözcü TV to be blacked out for 10 days starting 1 June

The 10-day blackout penalty imposed on Sözcü TV by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) will take effect on 1 June.

Sözcü TV was given a 10-day suspension for broadcasting live from İstanbul, Ankara, and İzmir, with the claim that the comments “incited the public to hatred and hostility.”

Only RTÜK's decision text will be displayed on a black screen. In addition, if the channel receives another penalty under the same article, its license will be revoked.

Security analyst Metin Gürcan given more than 16 years in "espionage" case

An Ankara court has sentenced former military officer, commentator, and opposition Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) founding member Metin Gürcan to 16 years and 8 months in prison on charges of “disclosing classified information related to state security for the purpose of espionage in a continuous manner.”

The verdict was issued by the Ankara 26th High Criminal Court, where Gürcan was being retried for allegedly sharing confidential state information with foreign diplomats, on 23 May 2025, according to news reports published on 2 June. The court hearing was closed to the public on public security grounds. Gürcan was immediately re-arrested following the announcement of the verdict.

Gürcan had been on trial without detention since 2022. In 2023, the Ankara court had concluded the case with a verdict of conviction that sentenced Gürcan to five years in prison but that verdict was later overruled by a regional appeals court, prompting the retrial.

Gürcan was first detained in November 2021 in Istanbul as part of an investigation launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. He was accused of obtaining and disclosing state secrets with the intent of political or military espionage. Video footage released during the investigation reportedly showed Gürcan receiving foreign currency in an envelope from a foreign diplomat and later depositing the money at an ATM.

In his defense, Gürcan denied the espionage charges, stating that he had provided consultancy services to various individuals and institutions since 2019, drawing on his military background.

According to the indictment, Gürcan allegedly shared sensitive information with foreign officials in exchange for payment, including details on Turkish military deployments abroad, Turkey’s role in Libya and Syria and information on drones produced by Turkey.

Gürcan had previously been released from custody on 11 May 2022.

Jailed journalist Vedat Örüç released at first hearing

The first hearing in the trial of imprisoned journalist Vedat Örüç on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the Mersin 6th High Criminal Court on 29 May 2025.

Örüç and his lawyer were present at the hearing.

At the hearing, which began with the identification of the defendants, Örüç stated that the charges in the indictment were related to his professional activities. Örüç denied the charges against him and requested his release and acquittal.

Örüç's lawyer also argued that the elements of the impugned crime did not exist and that the trial was unlawful, requesting his client's release and acquittal.

The court decided to release Örüç with an international travel ban and adjourned the trial until 16 September 2025.

Örüç was detained during house raids carried out on 17 January 2025, as part of an investigation conducted in İstanbul, and was imprisoned pending trial on 20 January on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.”

Prosecutor demands sentencing for Karabay at first hearing

The first hearing in the trial of journalist Furkan Karabay, who is charged with over his news reports and social media posts regarding the investigation against Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, “marking those assigned with the fights against terrorism,” “insulting a public official” and “spreading false information” was held at the İstanbul 22nd High Criminal Court on 27 May 2025.

Karabay, who is currently jailed in connection with another case, and his lawyers were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case, requested that Karabay be punished for all three charges against him.

Karabay and his lawyers requested time to respond to the prosecutor’s opinion. Lawyer Ermaner requested that the ban on his client's travel abroad be lifted, arguing that there was no suspicion of flight.

The court accepted the request for time and lifted the ban on Karabay's travel abroad. The trial was adjourned until 2 October2025.

Yelda Çiçek acquitted

The second hearing in the retrial of journalist Yelda Çiçek on the charge of “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations” was held at the Diyarbakır 4th Criminal Court of First Instance on 27 May 2025.

Çiçek attended the hearing along with other defendants and their lawyers.

The prosecutor requested acquittal for Çiçek and two other defendants on trial with her.

The court acquitted all three defendants.

Çiçek was detained on 21 August 2019, while covering protests against the appointment of a trustee in Diyarbakır and was charged with “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations.” On 22 September 2021, the court sentenced Çiçek to 5 months in prison and deferred the sentence. After appeals against the decision were rejected, the case was referred to the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court ruled that the “right to a fair trial” had been violated, paving the way for a retrial.

At least 29 journalists and media workers in prison

Following the release of journalists Yıldız Tar and Vedat Örüç, as of 30 May 2025, there are at least 29 journalists and media workers in pre-trial detention or imprisonment in Turkey.

The full list can be accessed here.