Six journalists summoned in new probe tied to İmamoğlu; all defendants acquitted in trial of seven journalists; appeals court upholds convictions of seven journalists

Six journalists summoned in new probe tied to jailed Istanbul Mayor İmamoğlu

A new judicial operation has targeted six journalists accused of collaborating with the administration of imprisoned Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Four journalists -- Şaban Sevinç, Yavuz Oğhan, Soner Yalçın, and Batuhan Çolak --were taken to the İstanbul Police Department’s Financial Crimes Unit on 6 November 2025 following early-morning raids on their homes. While officials initially denied that the journalists had been formally detained, describing the move as a summoning for questioning, their mobile phones were confiscated. Later in the day, journalist Ruşen Çakır was also taken into custody and questioned by prosecutors.

All five journalists were released the same day under judicial control measures after giving their statements. A sixth journalist, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, was also summoned to testify but could not be reached as she currently lives abroad.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that the journalists were being questioned on allegations of “spreading false information” and “aiding” what it described as “the İmamoğlu criminal organization for profit.” According to lawyer Hüseyin Ersöz, the investigation was initiated based on a secret witness statement claiming that some of the journalists had received payments from İmamoğlu’s team.


The operation follows the detention of TELE1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ two weeks earlier on espionage charges in a separate but related case that also implicates the jailed mayor of Istanbul.

Appeals court upholds terrorism convictions of seven Kurdish media journalists

The prison sentences of seven journalists who were initially arrested as part of an Ankara-based investigation targeting reporters from the pro-Kurdish outlets Mezopotamya Agency and Jin News have been upheld by an appeals court. The journalists had each been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for “membership in a terrorist organization.”

The Ankara Regional Court of Appeals 22nd Criminal Chamber confirmed the convictions of Diren Yurtsever, Selman Güzelyüz, Hakan Yalçın, Emrullah Acar, Zemo Ağgöz, Öznur Değer, and Deniz Nazlım, stating that “no fundamental error” was found in the lower court’s ruling. The acquittals of journalists Habibe Eren, Ceylan Şahinli, and Mehmet Günhan, who were tried in the same case, were also finalized.

However, the Chamber overturned the conviction of journalist Berivan Altan on procedural grounds, noting that the verdict had failed to specify the date of the alleged offense or details of her detention.

The journalists, arrested on 29 October 2022 and imprisoned until 16 May 2023, saw their professional reporting presented as evidence against them. The Chamber’s reasoning emphasized that news reports, digital materials, and correspondence were assessed collectively as a “comprehensive chain of evidence.”

Lawyers for the journalists announced that they will appeal the ruling before the Court of Cassation within the two-week window following notification of the decision. Separately, on 5 November 2025, the Ankara Regional Court Prosecutor’s Office appealed the acquittals of Şahinli, Eren, and Günhan, requesting that they be convicted on the same charge.

Click here to read our full article on the appeals court's judgment. 

Indictment filed for “insulting the president” against LeMan cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan

A new indictment has been filed against cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan, who is currently in custody as part of an investigation launched on charges of “inciting the people to hatred and hostility” over a cartoon published in satirical LeMan magazine depicting Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Moses. The new indictment, prepared by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, charges Pehlevan with “insulting the president.”

The indictment stated that Pehlevan, the owner of the work, had made insulting posts about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on a social media account identified as belonging to him, and that the posts in question were of a nature that damaged his honor, dignity, and reputation.

İsmail Arı acquitted in “insult” case

The second hearing in the trial of journalist İsmail Arı, who is charged with “insult” following a complaint by Ferhat Pamuk, the lawyer of MHP Deputy Levent Uysal, was held at the İstanbul 68th Criminal Court of First Instance on 7 November 2025.

Arı did not attend the hearing, but his lawyer, Ali Deniz Ceylan, was present in the courtroom.

The prosecutor presented their final opinion on the case, stating that the legal elements of the crime had not formed and requested an acquittal.

The court ruled for acquittal.

File sent to the prosecutor's office for final opinion in Perihan Kaya’s case

The eighth hearing in the retrial of journalist Perihan Kaya on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” (TMK 7/2) was held at the Diyarbakır 10th High Criminal Court on 7 November 2025.

At the hearing, which was followed by P24, Kaya's lawyer Resul Temur was present. Kaya, who resides abroad, did not attend the hearing.

The court decided to send the case file to the prosecutor's office for preparation of the final opinion on the case.

The trial was adjourned until 24 December 2025.

Opinion to be prepared in Hakkı Boltan's case

The eighth hearing of the case against Hakkı Boltan, co-chair of the Kurdish Publishers Association and owner of Aram Publishing House, who is being tried on charges of “insulting the president” and “insulting a public official,” was held at the Diyarbakır 12th Criminal Court of First Instance on 6 November 2025.

The trial was adjourned until 6 January 2026, for the prosecutor to prepare their final opinion on the case.

The case is based on a Kurdish press statement he made during the curfews in Cizre in 2016. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and then-Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu are plaintiffs in the case.

Journalist Barış Terkoğlu's trial postponed

The sixth hearing in the trial of journalist Barış Terkoğlu and former İyi Party Deputy Chair Ahmet Zeki Üçok, who are charged with “insulting a public official” was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 6 November 2025.

Terkoğlu,Üçok and their lawyers were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

At the previous hearing, the court had written to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) to determine whether an administrative investigation was being conducted into retired prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü, who was cited as a source in Terkoğlu and Üçok's news articles. It was learned that the requested information had been added to the case file between hearings.

Terkoğlu and Üçok's lawyers requested that retired prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü be heard as a witness and that the indictment prepared by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding Kökçü be added to the case file.

The court decided to issue a writ to the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requesting the indictment against retired prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü. The court rejected the request to hear Gökalp Kökçü as a witness at this stage and adjourned the case until 28 April 2026.

Prosecutor demands sentencing over news report

The fourth hearing in the trial of halktv.com.tr Editor-in-Chief Dinçer Gökçe, Nilay Can, Editor-in-Chief of gazetepencere.com, journalist Veysi Dündar, and lawyer İrem Çiçek was held at the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 5 November 2025. The defendants are on trial for “spreading false information” over news reports and social media posts alleging that the prosecutor leading the investigation into the Yenidoğan Gang had been removed from their post.

Dinçer Gökçe and lawyer Ali Deniz Ceylan were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case, requested that all defendants be punished for “spreading false information,” saying that “despite the statements, the defendants distorted the truth by spreading disinformation.” The prosecutor also requested that lawyer Çiçek be punished for the crime of “insulting a public official.”

Journalist Gökçe and lawyer Ceylan requested time to prepare their defense against the opinion. The court accepted the request for time and adjourned the case until 8 January 2026.

Click here to read the full article.

The trial of journalist Fatoş Erdoğan and 19 other defendants begins

The first hearing in the trial of 20 people, including journalist Fatoş Erdoğan, three of whom are in detention, on the charge of “inciting to commit crime” over their social media posts opposing the appointment of a trustee to the İstanbul Provincial Directorate of the Republican People's Party (CHP) was held at the İstanbul 9th Criminal Court of First Instance on 5 November 2025.

Detained defendants Abdullah Esin, Nur Betül Aras, and Ömer Faruk Mangaltepe, as well as defendants not in custody, were present at the hearing. Academic Emrah Gülsunar, who is detained in connection with another case, participated in the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system.

The defendants and their lawyers argued that the indictment had been copied from another case file. Academic Emrah Gülsunar stated that the indictment included phrases such as “Cold War Program” and “attack on religious values,” which had no connection to his own post, and asked, “What do these phrases have to do with my post?”

Lawyer Muhammed Mesut Yıldız also said, “What does the Cold War program have to do with this case? This indictment has been copied and pasted from another case text.”

Elif Ertürk's lawyer also objected to the “virtual patrol” practice used in the indictment. The lawyer argued that the indictment was prepared on unlawful grounds, recalling that the Constitutional Court had canceled this practice in its decision dated 19 February 2020.

Journalist Fatoş Erdoğan stated that she reported on the protests and quoted videos and statements in her social media posts. Erdoğan said, “These statements are not mine, but I am being charged for them in the indictment. I was doing my job as a journalist.”

Erdoğan, who said she was injured by a plastic bullet and showed the court panel photos showing bruises on her body, asked, “Am I really the one who should be on trial here?”

The prosecutor requested that the defendants remain in detention and that judicial control measures continue.

The court decided to release the three defendants, who had been in custody for 57 days, with a ban on leaving the country. The obligation for the defendants not in custody to sign in was lifted.

It was ruled that a letter should be sent to the Ministry of Justice because no permission to prosecute was obtained for lawyer Muhammed Mesut Yıldız.

It was also decided that a memorandum should be sent to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for an additional indictment to be prepared.

The next hearing will be held on 28 January 2026.

Journalist sentenced after Justice Minister’s complaint over chemical weapons report

The final hearing in the case against Hakan Dirik, chief editor of Yenigün newspaper, who was charged with “defamation” following a complaint filed by former Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ, was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 4 November 2025.

The case stemmed from a 2018 report by Dirik, then a Cumhuriyet correspondent, which covered allegations that raw materials used in the production of sarin gas had been transferred from Turkey to jihadist groups in Syria.

The court sentenced Dirik to 10 months in prison and deferred the sentence, meaning he will only serve time if convicted of the same charge within a specified probation period.

Trial of İsmail Arı and Yaşar Gökdemir adjourned until April 2026

The third hearing in the trial of BirGün newspaper reporter İsmail Arı and Editor-in-Chief Yaşar Gökdemir, who are charged with “defamation,” was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 4 November 2025.

Arı did not attend the hearing, which was followed by P24, but his lawyer, Ali Deniz Ceylan, was present.

Due to the failure of the documents to arrive at the court, both lawyer Ceylan and the hearing prosecutor requested that the missing issues be resolved.

The court accepted their requests and postponed the case until 28 April 2026.

Journalist Sedef Kabaş convicted for social media post on Central Bank governor

Prominent journalist and television anchor Sedef Kabaş has been sentenced to 10 months in prison on charges of “publicly spreading false information” over a social media post about Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan.

The Anadolu 45th Criminal Court of First Instance, which held the hearing on 4 November 2025, deferred the sentence, meaning Kabaş will serve time only if convicted of the same charge within a specified period.

The case stemmed from a post Kabaş shared on 8 February 2024 on the social media platform X, in which she claimed that the Central Bank Governor had stated electricity and natural gas prices could rise after the elections. According to the prosecution, the Center for Combating Disinformation, an office under the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, determined that Karahan had made no such statement. The indictment further alleged that Kabaş had “publicly disseminated false information in a manner that could affect the country’s internal security.”

The court ruled that the elements of the alleged crime were met and sentenced Kabaş to 10 months in prison, though the sentence remains suspended pending conviction on further offenses.

Click here to read the full article.

Journalist sentenced after Justice Minister’s complaint over chemical weapons report

The final hearing in the case against Hakan Dirik, chief editor of Yenigün newspaper, who was charged with “defamation” following a complaint filed by former Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ, was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 4 November 2025.

The case stemmed from a 2018 report by Dirik, then a Cumhuriyet correspondent, which covered allegations that raw materials used in the production of sarin gas had been transferred from Turkey to jihadist groups in Syria.

The court sentenced Dirik to 10 months in prison and deferred the sentence, meaning he will only serve time if convicted of the same charge within a specified probation period.

BirGün reporter acquitted of "insult" charges over report on AKP bureaucrat

An Istanbul court has acquitted BirGün reporter İsmail Arı, who was prosecuted for “insulting a public official” following a complaint filed by Rıza Uçan, a bureaucrat affiliated with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The case stemmed from Arı’s report alleging that Uçan, then deputy mayor of Istanbul’s densely-populated working-class district Güngören district, had assaulted a municipal employee. In the same piece, Arı also drew attention to Uçan’s role in approving a lucrative urban transformation project in the area.

The third and final hearing took place on 4 November 2025 at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Uçan’s lawyer argued that “even though the defendant is a journalist, the limits of criticism were exceeded” and requested a conviction, claiming Arı’s reporting could not be considered within the bounds of press or expression freedom.

Announcing its verdict, the court acquitted Arı, ruling that “the act charged is not defined as a crime under the law.”

Click here to read the full article.

All defendants acquitted in trial of seven journalists

The fifth hearing in the trial of journalists Hayri Tunç, Gülistan Dursun, Pınar Gayıp, Serpil Ünal, Can Papila, Muhammet Enes Sezgin, and Osman Akın on charges of “terrorism propaganda” (TMK 7/2) and “participating in illegal meetings and demonstrations and refusing to disperse despite warnings was held at the İstanbul 24th High Criminal Court on 4 November 2025.

The journalists did not attend the hearing, but their lawyers were present.

The court ruled to acquit the journalists.

The case was brought on the grounds of their participation in the commemoration of Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin.

MA reporter Ahmet Kanbal's case for “spreading false information” to resume in January 2026

The preliminary hearing in the trial of Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Ahmet Kanbal, who is being tried for “spreading false information” over his statements that the state's response to the February 6 earthquake was inadequate, was held at the Adıyaman 5th Criminal Court of First Instance on 3 November 2025.

Kanbal and his lawyer Erdal Kuzu attended the hearing in Mardin, which was held under the scope of the preliminary hearing sent to the Mardin 6th Criminal Court of First Instance.

Kanbal, who defended himself at the hearing, denied the charges.

Lawyer Erdal Kuzu also said that they would submit to the court documents proving that his client is a journalist and a transcript of news reports stating that state officials were inadequate in the first three days of the earthquake.

The court decided to close the instruction file and send it to the Adıyaman 5th Criminal Court of First Instance.

The next hearing in the case will be held on 16 January 2026.

At least 29 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

As of 7 November 2025, there are at least 29 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.