RTÜK imposes penalties against dissident media outlets; Gençağa Karafazlı and Şenol Öksüz briefly detained; Metin Yoksu released pending trial; house arrest for Oğuz Bakır

Rize journalists detained over report on alleged misuse of public funds

Gençağa Karafazlı, the publisher of Kuzeyteve.com and Rize correspondent for ANKA News Agency, and Şenol Öksüz, the publisher and editorial coordinator of Haber Rize website, were briefly detained by police in the northeastern province.

The detentions were announced by the Progressive Journalists Association (ÇGD), which stated that both journalists were taken in for questioning over a report alleging that Rize's provincial director of national education had renovated his office and had a private bathroom built for himself.

In a public statement, ÇGD condemned the detentions, saying, “Those who recklessly misuse public funds, not the journalists working in the public interest and upholding the right to information, should be held accountable.” The association also called for the immediate release of Karafazlı and Öksüz.

After giving their statements at the police station, the journalists were referred to the courthouse, where they were questioned by the prosecutor. They were released following their testimonies.

RTÜK imposes 5-day broadcast ban, fines on opposition channels

Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has imposed a five-day broadcast suspension and an administrative fine of 5 percent of monthly advertisement revenues on TELE 1 over a comment made during its program “4 Soru 4 Yanıt” (“4 Questions, 4 Answers”). The remark in question described the 15 July 2016 coup attempt as “an Islamist coup” and claimed that “the main culprit behind this coup is the AKP government.” RTÜK stated that the comment amounted to “inciting hatred and hostility among the public.”

The decision, taken during RTÜK’s meeting on 23 July, marks the latest in a series of sanctions targeting opposition television channels in Turkey.

During the same meeting, RTÜK also imposed separate administrative fines of 3 percent of their monthly advertisement revenues on TELE 1 and Halk TV over remarks made by opposition CHP Deputy Group Chair Ali Mahir Başarır concerning the arrests and imprisonments of several CHP mayors. “We are addressing the one man in Ankara. We are addressing the current Minister of Justice and other ministers. If you have honor, courage, and dignity, come and wage your fight against us,” Başarır said in the remarks.

Meanwhile, SZC TV, which had just completed serving a 10-day broadcast suspension issued earlier by RTÜK, was hit with another penalty on the final day of its blackout. The channel’s General Manager, Özgür Çakmakcı, announced that a new sanction had been imposed but did not provide specific details, noting only that it was related to criticism of a 2004 speech by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Metin Yoksu, last journalist jailed in Artvin-based investigation, released pending trial

Batman-based journalist Metin Yoksu, who was jailed on 26 June as part of a terrorism-related investigation launched in the northeastern province of Artvin, was released on 25 July under judicial control. The measures imposed include a ban on international travel and an obligation to regularly report to a police station.

Yoksu was among seven journalists who were included in the investigation, which led to the imprisonments for a month of journalists Dicle Baştürk, Yavuz Akengin, Eylem Emel Yılmaz, and Sendika.org staff member Ozan Cırık. All four were placed in pre-trial detention on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and were released on 16 July following a monthly judicial review.

The group, which also included journalist Semra Pelek and translator Melisa Efe, had been detained in house raids carried out on 13 June and placed in pre-trial detention three days later. Police also raided Metin Yoksu’s home during the operation, but he was not taken into custody at the time as he was not present. He was later arrested and jailed on 26 June. The journalists were accused of receiving fees for freelance news content or software services they provided to a website allegedly linked to what authorities refer to as FETÖ.

House arrest for Oğuz Bakır

Journalist Oğuz Bakır was placed under house arrest by an İstanbul court on 19 July for “insulting a public official,” “defamation,” and “spreading false information.”

Bakır was arrested along with lawyer Eren Doğru and two others on 18 July for commenting on social media on remarks by CHP leader Özgür Özel, which referred to a prosecutor involved in an investigation into the CHP-held Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. All four were brought before the İstanbul Criminal Judgeship of Peace, which ruled for their indefinite house arrest pending investigation.

The charges stem from a recent speech in which Özel criticized the government’s targeting of the İstanbul Municipality, which resulted in the imprisonment of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu and other officials, and drew attention to a symbolic object placed on a prosecutor's desk, a miniature white Renault Toros car. His reference to the white Toros evoked the memory of white Renault Toros cars widely associated with abductions and enforced disappearances in Turkey during the 1990s, when the vehicles were allegedly used by security forces to target Kurdish dissidents. The remarks prompted an investigation against Özel for "insulting a public official" and "threat."

In the social media post that led to his arrest, Bakır shared the identity of the prosecutor along with a photo he said was taken from the prosecutor’s public X profile. He also noted that the prosecutor’s name had already been made public in an official statement issued by the prosecutor’s office leading the investigation into Özel.

Investigation launched against Can Uğur over report on “irregularities in high school placement exam”

An investigation has been launched against Can Uğur, news manager at Cumhuriyet newspaper, following his reporting on alleged irregularities in Turkey’s High School Placement Exam (LGS), whose results were released on 11 July.

“I have learned that an investigation has been launched against me following my reports exposing scandals in the LGS,” Uğur wrote on social media. “I will give my statement shortly. I feel no regret whatsoever for defending the rights of nearly 1 million children."

The report in question, dated 24 June, cited allegations that test questions from both sessions of LGS were shared in WhatsApp groups before the exam had concluded on 15 June, violating Ministry rules that forbid distribution until a full day after the test date. While the Ministry of National Education denied widespread irregularities, it acknowledged a single incident in which a teacher assigned to proctor the exam took a photo of a test booklet and shared it with a limited group. Despite dismissing broader claims, the Ministry launched an internal investigation, during which 29 individuals, including teachers, school staff, police officers, and administrators, were temporarily suspended.

The controversy gained further prominence amid reports that 719 students achieved full marks, a sharp rise from previous years. Critics argued this spike, combined with the leak allegations, raised questions about exam integrity and transparency. 

İsmail Arı receives another threatening message

BirGün newspaper reporter İsmail Arı said he had been threatened via messages sent to his cell phone.

Arı had previously reported that he was threatened over a story about “bribery in court” involving Gökhan Göz, who is known to be linked to the Şahinler gang. He shared the messages, saying, “They accessed my relatives' personal data and sent it to me.” Arı called on the General Directorate of Security and the Ministry of the Interior following these threats. However, Arı announced that his call had not been answered and that he had received new threatening messages targeting his family and wife.

The messages sent to Arı stated, “I have people following you in Ankara,” and threatened to rape his wife.

Attack on journalist Engin Korkmaz

Engin Korkmaz, former president of the Mediterranean Branch of the Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD), was physically and verbally attacked by two shopping mall employees while filming in front of a shopping mall on Şarampol Street in downtown Antalya late at night.

The incident occurred on 24 July, the Day of Struggle for Press Freedom. While filming materials being transported by a crane in front of the closed shopping center, Korkmaz was obstructed by mall staff. Two employees approached him, demanded he delete the footage he had recorded, and threatened and insulted him despite his showing his press card and identifying himself as a journalist.

At least 32 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

Expression Interrupted has learned that journalists Mehmet Kamış, Ufuk Şanlı and Mutlu Çölgeçen had been imprisoned pending trial as part of a new investigation on 11 July. In the light of these new imprisonments and the release of Metin Yoksu from pre-trial detention, as of 25 July, there are at least 32 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either in pre-trial detention or serving a finalized sentence.

The full list can be accessed here.