TELE1 editor-in-chief detained; journalist imprisoned for exposing backlash against mayor’s transfer to AKP; 3 journalists convicted in BirGün case; Ercüment Akdeniz released

TELE1 editor-in-chief detained on espionage charges in probe linked to İmamoğlu, trustee appointed to the station

Journalist Merdan Yanardağ, editor-in-chief of the opposition news channel TELE1, was detained in the early hours of 24 October 2025 on charges of “espionage.” His home and his office at TELE1’s headquarters were searched by police anti-terror units.

In a statement, the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office announced that the investigation that prompted the arrest also involved Ekrem İmamoğlu, the currently jailed mayor of Istanbul, and Necati Özkan, the adviser who managed İmamoğlu’s electoral campaign.

“According to a witness statement, it was determined that suspect Merdan Yanardağ organized the media side of the election process by receiving benefits from suspect Hüseyin Gün, and that he collaborated with foreign intelligence services to manipulate the 2019 local elections, thereby committing the crime of espionage,” the statement read. The statement did not provide information on the main suspect of the investigation, Hüseyin Gün, but pro-government media reported that he had been arrested in July 2025 for allegedly maintaining contact with foreign intelligence agencies.

Furthermore, on the evening of Friday, 24 October, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the İstanbul Criminal Court of Peace had decided to appoint the Saving Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) as a trustee for ABC Radio Television and Digital Broadcasting Inc., the owner of the TELE1 channel.

TELE1 is considered one of the few remaining opposition news outlets in Turkey. The broadcaster has faced constant pressure, with its news and commentary programs regularly fined by the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK). Yanardağ is a prominent journalist known for his outspoken criticism of the government.

Journalist imprisoned for exposing backlash against mayor’s transfer to AKP

Journalist Emin Aydın has been imprisoned pending trial over his reporting on Özlem Çerçioğlu, the mayor of Aydın Metropolitan Municipality. 

Çerçioğlu, who is serving her fourth term as mayor in the Aegean city, recently stirred controversy by joining the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) after years with the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The investigation against Aydın was launched following his reports that a concert organized after Çerçioğlu’s switch to the AKP was poorly attended and that municipal council members faced public backlash as a result.

Aydın, the editor-in-chief of the Aydın Denge news site, was taken into custody from his home on 21 October 2025 as part of an operation initiated by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, and was imprisoned pending trial after giving his statement.

He is the second journalist to be jailed for criticizing Çerçioğlu since her party switch. Journalist and writer Ergün Poyraz was arrested on similar grounds on 2 October.

Another journalist criticizing AKP member Özlem Çerçioğlu jailed

Journalist Emin Aydın was imprisoned pending trial over his reporting on Aydın Metropolitan Municipality, Özlem Çerçioğlu, who resigned from the CHP and joined the AKP. 

Emin Aydın, Editor-in-Chief of the Aydın Denge news site, was taken into custody from his home on 21 October as part of an operation launched by Aydın Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.  After being questioned at the prosecutor's office, Aydın was imprisoned pending trial. 

The investigation against journalist Aydın was launched over his reports that a concert organized after Çerçioğlu joined the AKP was poorly attended and that municipal council members faced public backlash.  Aydın is the second journalist to be jailed for criticizing Çerçioğlu in recent times. Journalist-writer Ergün Poyraz was also sent to prison on similar grounds.

Trial begins for journalists reporting on protests sparked by İstanbul mayor’s arrest

The trial of 12 individuals, including eight journalists, for “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations” during mass protests in front of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu began in İstanbul on 24 October 2025.

The journalists --Bülent Kılıç, Yasin Akgül, Zeynep Kuray, Gökhan Kam, Kurtuluş Arı, Ali Onur Tosun, Hayri Tunç, and Emre Orman-- were detained for “failing to disperse despite warnings” while covering demonstrations organized by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and authorized by the Governor’s Office. The protests, which lasted more than a week, were sparked by İmamoğlu’s arrest on 19 March. İmamoğlu has remained in prison since. Among those charged are journalists working for major media outlets, including Yasin Akgül of AFP and Ali Onur Tosun of Now TV.

During the hearing, the journalists emphasized that their work required being present at events to report and photograph them, and they requested acquittal. The court rejected their request, asked the prosecutor to submit a final opinion, and adjourned the trial until 27 November 2025.

Nevşin Mengü acquitted

The third hearing in the trial of journalist Nevşin Mengü, who was charged with “publicly inciting the people to hatred and hostility” over statements made in two videos published on her YouTube channel on 19 and 21 February, 2024, following a complaint by Orhan Osmanoğlu, the grandson of Ottoman Emperor Abdulhamid II, was held at the İstanbul 38th Criminal Court of First Instance on 24 October 2025.

Mengü, who was present at the hearing with her lawyers, stated, “I do not accept the impugned crime in any way; the material and moral elements of the crime did not form. It is clear that I did not commit the crime of inciting the public to hatred and hostility in any way on my news site. I request that my acquittal.”

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case, requested an acquittal for the journalist on the grounds that Mengü's statements were directed at the participant personally, that there was no statement inciting one segment of the public against another, and that these statements did not pose a clear and imminent threat to public safety.

The court also decided to acquit journalist Nevşin Mengü, finding that the legal elements of the impugned crime were not present.

Click here to read the details of the article.

Journalist Ercüment Akdeniz released after eight months in detention

Journalist Ercüment Akdeniz was released pending the verdict during the second hearing of his trial at the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court on 23 October 2025. He had been detained since 21 February as part of the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK) investigation and is charged with “membership in a terrorist organization.”

A witness who testified during Thursday's hearing stated that he did not know Ercüment Akdeniz, had no information about him, and did not recall the statement he had given to the police.

Although the prosecutor requested the continuation of Akdeniz’s detention on the grounds that the alleged offense was among “catalog crimes” and that there was a “strong suspicion of guilt,” the court ordered his release with a travel ban.

The trial was adjourned until 10 February 2026.

Trial of 23 defendants including İsminaz Temel and Havva Cuştan adjourned until March 2026

The 31st hearing in the trial of 23 people, including ETHA editor İsminaz Temel and its former reporter Havva Cuştan, on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorism propaganda,” was held at the İstanbul 27th High Criminal Court on 22 October 2025.

The defendants did not attend the hearing, but their lawyers were present. P24 monitored the hearing.

The secret witness stated that they had no information about the defendants' activities such as recruiting members for the organization. They stated that they had only seen the names they were asked about at ESP events.

After the secret witness was heard, the prosecutor stated that they had repeated their previous opinion.

The trial was adjourned until 11 March 2026. 

Perihan Kaya's trial adjourned until February 2026

The third hearing in the trial of journalist Perihan Kaya, who is charged with “insult” following a complaint by former Tatvan Mayor Mehmet Emin Geylani, who is accused of instigating an attack on former Bitlis Journalists Association President Sinan Aygül, was held at the Tatvan 1st Criminal Court of First Instance on 22 October 2025. 

Neither journalist Kaya nor plaintiff Geylani attended the hearing.

The court decided to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant issued to take Kaya's statement. It also ruled that a warrant should be issued to bring the plaintiff, Mehmet Emin Geylani, to court to take his statement.

The trail was adjourned until 11 February 2026.

One journalist sentenced to prison, two fined over report on Chief Prosecutor Gürlek

The third hearing in the trial of BirGün Board Chairman İbrahim Aydın, birgun.net Editor Uğur Koç, and Responsible Managing Editor Yaşar Gökdemir was held at the Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on 22 October 2025. The journalists were charged with “disclosing the identities of public officials involved in the fight against terrorism” and “publicly insulting a public official” over their report on Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek’s visit to Sabah, a newspaper widely regarded as close to the government.

In his defense, Gökdemir pointed out that the report in question had first appeared in Sabah itself, emphasizing that no legal action had been taken against that newspaper.

The court acquitted all three journalists of “disclosing the identities of public officials involved in the fight against terrorism,” but found them guilty of “publicly insulting a public official.” Aydın received a prison sentence of 11 months and 20 days, while Gökdemir and Koç were each fined 34,500 TL. The court deferred Gökdemir's sentence.

T24 journalist sentenced for reporting on political murder case

An Istanbul court has sentenced T24 reporter Asuman Aranca to 10 months in prison for “violating the confidentiality of the investigation” over her article on the expert witness report in the high-profile murder case of Sinan Ateş, the former chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) youth group, the Grey Wolves, from 2019 to 2020. The court deferred the sentence, allowing Aranca to avoid prison if she refrains from similar offenses during a probationary period.

The fourth hearing in Aranca's trial was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 21 October 2025. Aranca, who denied the charges, argued that everyone mentioned in the article had already been convicted in the trial over Ateş's murder, and that her reporting did not violate the presumption of innocence.

The murder of Sinan Ateş became a high-profile political case, with many observers claiming that prosecutors failed to identify those who instigated the killing. Aranca, known for her coverage of complex criminal cases, received the EU Award for Best Investigative Journalism last month.

Click here to read the details of the article.

JinNews News Director Öznur Değer given jail term

JinNews News Director Öznur Değer has been sentenced to 1 year, 28 months, and 15 days in prison on the charge of “terrorism propaganda.”

The final hearing in the trial of Değer, on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” was held at the Mardin 2nd High Criminal Court on 21 October 2025.

Değer and her lawyers did not attend the hearing.

During the hearing, the prosecutor presented their final opinion on the case and requested sentencing for the impugned crime.

The court sentenced Öznur Değer to 1 year, 28 months, and 15 days in prison.

At least 28 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

As of 24 October 2025, there are at least 28 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.