Major media outlets seized in anti-fraud operation; police operation against CHP building: Social media restricted, journalists obstructed; Ahmet Güneş acquitted

Major media outlets seized in anti-fraud operation

In a sweeping operation launched on 11 September, prosecutors ordered the seizure of prominent media organizations owned by Can Holding, including flagship channels Habertürk TV, Show TV, and Bloomberg HT, as part of a broader probe into alleged financial crimes.

The media seizures encompassed not only the television networks but also associated digital platforms and production companies under Can Holding’s umbrella, effectively placing a substantial portion of Turkey’s mainstream broadcasting under state trusteeship.

Habertürk, known for its news coverage and political talk shows, and Show TV, a popular entertainment and news broadcaster reaching millions of viewers, were among the first to be impacted, with gendarmerie teams conducting searches at their offices in downtown İstanbul early Thursday morning. Bloomberg HT, which was established in 2010 in partnership with Bloomberg News, faced similar measures. Can Holding had acquired the companies from Ciner Group late last year.

The crackdown resulted in Can Holding’s 121 affiliated companies -- including these outlets -- placed under judicial administration of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF). The companies placed under trusteeship include major education institutions such as İstanbul’s Bilgi University and private school franchise Doğa Koleji as well.

At the heart of the seizures lies an investigation accusing Can Holding executives of exploiting Turkey’s “Asset Peace” law, a regulation designed to encourage the repatriation of overseas funds through tax amnesties, for illicit purposes such as money laundering and tax evasion. Prosecutors claim that the holding funneled billions of liras through opaque transactions, with holding revenues allegedly used to mask fraudulent activities. The prosecutors issued arrest warrants for 10 top executives, including the holding’s leadership, as part of the operation.


The operation has drawn swift international attention, with media watchdogs warning of potential censorship risks as state-appointed trustees assume control of editorial operations. Critics argue that the timing and scope of the seizures could stifle diverse voices in Turkey’s polarized media environment, where outlets like Habertürk have occasionally challenged government narratives.

Bandwidth throttling during police operation at CHP headquarters

 

As the CHP İstanbul Provincial Headquarters was being placed under police cordon after Gürsel Tekin, appointed as trustee of the CHP Istanbul Provincial Headquarters, announced on 7 September that he would go to the building, users were unable to access social media platforms including TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp, and X (formerly Twitter). The bandwidth throttling ended after 21 hours.

 

After Tekin’s announcement that he would go to the building despite CHP executives’ protest of the court’s decision to appoint a trustee committee, the party headquarters was placed under police cordon. Upon a call for gathering at the CHP building, İstanbul Police Rapid Response teams closed the streets leading to the building to traffic.

 

NetBlocks, which monitors internet restrictions around the world, announced that many social media platforms in Turkey were restricted after the CHP İstanbul Provincial Headquarters was placed under police cordon and the ongoing process. The bandwidth throttling applied to social media platforms ended after 21 hours.

 

Fifteen rights organizations, including P24, issued a statement protesting the restrictions. You can access the full statement here.

 

Journalists battered and obstructed during police operation at CHP İstanbul headquarters

 

Riot police clashed with protesters and obstructed journalists on 8 September, during a tense operation to install a court-appointed trustee at the Republican People's Party (CHP) provincial headquarters in İstanbul's Sarıyer district. The incident unfolded amid widespread protests against what party leaders described as a “political coup” targeting the main opposition party.

As Gürsel Tekin, the newly appointed trustee and a former senior CHP member, arrived at the building accompanied by riot police, officers deployed pepper spray and tear gas to disperse crowds of CHP supporters who had barricaded the entrance. Protesters, including party members and local residents, chanted slogans and hurled water bottles at Tekin, who urged calm while insisting he was not acting on behalf of the state.

Journalist Fatoş Erdoğan was struck in the leg by a rubber bullet fired by police while reporting from outside the headquarters. Other journalists reported being targeted with pepper spray and were physically obstructed from accessing the site. Once inside the building, police allegedly sprayed pepper gas in the press room and forcibly evicted reporters who had been stationed there.

The operation also coincided with government-imposed internet throttling across İstanbul, slowing access to social media and messaging apps for over 12 hours, which hampered real-time reporting and communication.

The events stemmed from a court ruling on 2 September, which annulled the CHP's İstanbul provincial congress held in October 2023, citing alleged irregularities and criminal actions by delegates, a claim the party vehemently denied. This decision removed provincial chairman Özgür Çelik and his team from office, prompting the appointment of a temporary committee led by Tekin.

Law suit filed against 7 journalists detained in Eskişehir operation

An indictment was filed against journalists Berfin Atlı, Gülcan Dereli, Kemal Taylan, Serap Güneş, Suzan Demir, Tuğçe Yılmaz, and Erdoğan Alayumat, who were detained as part of an investigation launched by the Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on 26 November 2024 on the charge of “aiding a terrorist organization.” The case, which was transferred to İstanbul due to the Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's decision of lack of jurisdiction, was sent to the competent İstanbul High Criminal Court with the indictment prepared.

Royalty payments received into the journalists' accounts, articles they wrote for the magazines and newspapers Politikart and Yeni Özgür Politika, which operate in Germany and Turkey, and their social media posts were cited as evidence for aiding an armed terrorist organization.

The date of the first hearing has not yet been set.

Tolga Şardan briefly detained

Journalist Tolga Şardan was detained on 9 September and taken to the Ankara Courthouse for his report claiming that the passwords of electronic signature holders had been stolen and that no user conducting transactions with electronic signatures was safe.

After his statement to the prosecutor's office, the court ruled to release Şardan with an international travel ban.

Şardan had reported that the Information and Communication Technologies Authority’s (BTK) data pool, where the passwords of all e-signature users across the country were stored, had been hacked and that an administrative investigation into the incident had been launched.

Mehmet Baran Kılıç handed jail term

Journalist Mehmet Baran Kılıç was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison for “obtaining and disseminating personal data” at the end of his trial, which was brought against him following a complaint by the Secretary General of Boğaziçi University. The sentence was deferred.

Kılıç, who has extensively reported on alleged irregularities and appointments at the Boğaziçi University, said the evidence against him consisted of publicly available documents such as news articles, announcements, LinkedIn information, CVs and High Education Council (YÖK) thesis records.

He was on trial on charges of “insult” and “obtaining and disseminating personal data.”

The court imposed a sentence for the crime of “obtaining and disseminating personal data” but acquitted him of the charge of “insult.”

Ahmet Güneş acquitted

 

The second hearing in the trial of journalist Ahmet Güneş, who was charged with “membership in a terrorist organization,” was held at the İstanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 11 September 2025.

 

Güneş, who was present at the hearing with his lawyer Meltem Özel, said, “I am a journalist, I was jailed and tried for doing my job. Journalism is not a crime, I demand my acquittal.”

 

Lawyer Özel, stating that she did not agree with the prosecutor's final opinion on the case, said, "My client has no connection to any organization, and there are no exchanges of ideas that praise the activities of any organization. The statements made on the program are mentioned in the indictment. It is clear that the statements made on this program are expressions that widely criticize the government. There are evaluations regarding the trustee. My client is of Kurdish identity and engages in critical journalism. He continues to engage in journalism. This is his profession and his right. We request that my client be acquitted.”

 

When asked for his final statement, Ahmet Güneş said, “I do not accept the charges. Journalism is not a crime. I request my acquittal."

 

The court acquitted Ahmet Güneş on the grounds that it was not proven that he had committed the impugned crime.

 

Güneş, who was detained and imprisoned pending trial as part of an investigation based in Istanbul, was released on 4 February.

 

Diyarbakır court rejects removal of travel ban on Abdurrahman Gök

A court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır refused to lift a nearly two-year-old overseas travel ban on journalist Abdurrahman Gök during the eighth hearing of his trial on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “propaganda for a terrorist organization,” held on 11 September.

Gök, who spent 225 days in pretrial detention before his release in December 2023, argued that the restrictions were hindering his professional and personal life, but the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court upheld the judicial control measures and adjourned the case until 25 November 2025.

 

During the hearing, Gök's lawyers, Mehmet Emin Aktar and Resul Temur, emphasized the burdensome and indefinite nature of the controls. Aktar described them as “severe,” while Temur noted that Gök, whose livelihood depends on journalism, was being financially strained by the inability to travel abroad. The prosecutor recommended maintaining the measures, citing the ongoing nature of the case. Gök himself reiterated his commitment to staying in Turkey, stating that he had previously turned down a scholarship opportunity abroad despite being listed as a journalist at risk. “I was born here, I practice my profession here, and despite all the difficulties, I stayed here,” Gök told the court.


 

You can find more details from the hearing, monitored by P24, and the case against Gök here.

Compensation cases against journalist Furkan Karabay adjourned until March 2026

The fourth hearing in the compensation case filed against journalist Furkan Karabay upon the complaint of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's former lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal over his social media posts was held at the İstanbul 32nd Civil Court of First Instance on 11 September 2025.

Only the plaintiff’s lawyer attended the hearing.

The court decided to wait for the outcome of the case against Karabay overseen at the İstanbul 5th Criminal Court of First Instance and adjourned the trial until 3 March 2026.

Action for damages against Barış Pehlivan adjourned until December

The seventh hearing in the action for damages worth TL 10,000 filed by Deputy Minister of National Defense Alpaslan Kavaklıoğlu against journalist Barış Pehlivan was held at the Ankara 23rd Civil Court of First Instance on 11 September 2025.

While Pehlivan did not attend the hearing, plaintiff’s lawyer was present.

The trial was adjourned until 2 December 2025.

Singer Ferhat Tunç's trial adjourned until January 2026

The 22nd hearing in the trial of singer Ferhat Tunç on the charge of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” was held at the Büyükçekmece 4th Criminal Court of First Instance on 10 September 2025.

No one attended the hearing.

The trial was adjourned until 14 January 2026.

“Özgür Gündem solidarity” case adjourned until December

The 14th hearing in the retrial of Erol Önderoğlu, Turkey representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, and journalist Ahmet Nesin, whose acquittals were overturned by the appellate court, in the “Özgür Gündem Solidarity” case on charges of “inciting people to commit crime,” “praising an offense or an offender” and “terrorism propaganda” was held at the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court on 9 September 2025.

P24 monitored the hearing, which was attended by Şebnem Korur Fincancı and Erol Önderoğlu and their lawyers.

The court decided to wait for a response to a request sent abroad and postponed the case until 25 December 2025.

Furkan Karabay ordered to pay damages

The eighth hearing in a compensation case filed against journalist Furkan Karabay by Mustafa Doğan İnal, a former lawyer of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, on the charge of “violation of personal rights” was held at the İstanbul 33rd Civil Court of First Instance on 9 September 2025.

P24 monitored the hearing, which was attended by the lawyers of the parties.

The court partially accepted the case, ordering Karabay to pay TL 35,000 TL in moral damages.

Click here to read the full details of the article.

Ercan Aktaş’s trial adjourned until February 2026

The eighth hearing in the trial of journalist Ercan Aktaş on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” was held at the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on 8 September 2025.

No one attended the hearing.

The court ruled to await the execution of the arrest warrant against Aktaş and adjourned the trial until 23 February 2026.

At least 33 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

As of 12 September 2025, there are at least 33 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.