Appeals court releases Fatih Altaylı, top court annuls sentence deferment rules over torture and ill-treatment concerns; court clears way for prosecution of police who beat journalist Can Öztürk; Yeniçağ editor briefly detained over criticism of government’s ISIS policy

Appeals court releases Altaylı, sentenced over comments on presidential power

Fatih Altaylı, who was sentenced to four years and two months in prison for “threatening” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was released from prison on 29 December 2025.

The veteran journalist was detained on 22 June and imprisoned pending trial the same day over remarks he made during a live broadcast on his YouTube channel.

At a hearing held on 26 November, the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court sentenced Altaylı to five years in prison on the charge of “threatening the president.” The court subsequently reduced the sentence to four years and two months on the grounds of good conduct, but ruled that he should remain in custody during the appeal process.

Altaylı’s lawyers appealed the ruling, and the case was reviewed by the Istanbul Regional Court of Appeals 2nd Criminal Chamber, which initially examined their request for his release.

In its decision, the Chamber ordered Altaylı’s release, citing the nature of the alleged offence, the fact that evidence had already been collected, the absence of flight risk, the sentence imposed at trial, and the length of time he had spent in pre-trial and post-conviction detention.

The broadcast at the centre of the case discussed a public opinion poll indicating that 70 percent of respondents opposed the idea of the president remaining in power indefinitely. Altaylı described the result as unsurprising, noting that Turkish society “loves going to the polls” and has historically resisted attempts to curtail voting rights. Referring to examples from the late Ottoman period, he remarked that unpopular rulers were sometimes “strangled or fell victim to palace plots.”

Shortly after the episode aired on Altaylı’s channel, which has more than 1.7 million subscribers, edited clips of his remarks began circulating on social media. Stripped of context, the excerpts reframed his comments as threats against President Erdoğan. Prior to Altaylı’s detention, one of the president’s senior advisers, Oktay Saral, had publicly targeted the journalist, stating that he was “already in hot water.” Less than 24 hours after the clips began circulating, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation that led to Altaylı's detention.

Constitutional Court annuls sentence deferment rules over torture and ill-treatment concerns

The Constitutional Court (AYM) has ruled that the regulation allowing courts to defer the announcement of a prison sentence, typically for a period of five years, is incompatible with constitutionally protected rights and has annulled the relevant provisions.

Courts have frequently applied the “deferment of the announcement of the verdict” (HAGB) mechanism in cases carrying prison sentences of less than five years, including charges such as “spreading terrorist propaganda” and “insulting the president.” Under this procedure, courts could impose a prison sentence without immediately enforcing it. Under an HAGB ruling, defendants would avoid imprisonment so long as they did not commit the same offence within five years. A significant number of cases concerned the exercise of freedom of expression, while HAGB was also applied to public officials accused of wrongdoing.

The Court found that the absence of a clear legal rule excluding the application of HAGB in certain areas, particularly in cases involving torture, cruelty, or ill-treatment committed by public officials in the course of their duties, was incompatible with the state’s obligations under Article 17 of the Constitution. That article requires effective investigations, the imposition of proportionate penalties on perpetrators, and the provision of appropriate redress to victims.

In its decision dated 10 July 2025, published in the Official Gazette on 31 December and subsequently announced to the public, the Constitutional Court annulled paragraphs 5 to 14 of Article 231 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CMK).

The Court had previously examined the HAGB regime. In a decision dated 1 June 2023, it held that the mechanism could lead to impunity and undermine fundamental rights, particularly the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, and annulled the same provision. At that time, it granted the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) a nine-month period to enact new legislation.

In March 2024, the TBMM introduced amendments establishing a new framework in certain areas, including regulating the appeal process against HAGB decisions and introducing a distinct procedure for confiscation measures. However, the Constitutional Court found that Parliament failed to explicitly prohibit the application of HAGB in cases of torture, cruelty, and ill-treatment committed by public officials in the performance of their duties.

According to the Court, this omission risked reproducing the same unconstitutional outcomes and therefore rendered the provision incompatible with Article 17 of the Constitution.

Court clears way for prosecution of police who beat journalist covering protest against child marriage advocate

The Istanbul Regional Administrative Court has overturned a decision refusing permission to investigate police officers accused of assaulting T24 reporter Can Öztürk, who was beaten and detained while covering a protest. In its ruling dated 29 December 2025, the court annulled the earlier decision not to grant investigative permission, opening the way for the officers involved to face prosecution.

The court held that the assault on Öztürk was not connected to the lawful execution of public duty and ruled that requiring administrative permission for an investigation in such circumstances was unlawful. As a result of the final ruling, the investigation file concerning the police officers who assaulted the journalist will be reopened.

Öztürk was attacked by police while reporting on protests against Nurettin Yıldız, the president of the Sosyal Doku Vakfı (Social Fabric Foundation), an Islamic figure who has drawn widespread public condemnation for statements asserting that girls as young as six could be married. Yıldız was invited to deliver a lecture at the prestigious Boğaziçi University on 13 May 2025 by the university’s Islamic Studies Club, prompting strong backlash from students and civil society groups.

Ahead of the event, many students announced plans to protest Yıldız’s appearance, citing his remarks as legitimising child abuse and contradicting basic principles of child protection and human rights. It was during these protests that Öztürk, who was covering the demonstrations as a journalist, was beaten and detained by police.

Despite repeatedly identifying himself as a member of the press, Öztürk was choked by police officers, and his press card was forcibly broken. A criminal complaint was subsequently filed against the officers involved. However, the Istanbul Governor’s Office initially refused to grant permission for an investigation, effectively blocking judicial scrutiny.

That decision has now been overturned by the Regional Administrative Court, which explicitly rejected the argument that the alleged violence fell within the scope of official duty.

Meanwhile, the second hearing in the case against Öztürk and 14 Boğaziçi students, who are facing charges of “violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations,” is scheduled for 12 January 2026 at the Istanbul 69th Criminal Court of First Instance.

Yeniçağ editor briefly detained over criticism of government’s ISIS policy, X account withheld

Fatih Ergin, the news manager of Yeniçağ newspaper’s website, was detained late on 29 December 2025 on charges of “spreading false information” over social media posts in which he criticised the government’s policies toward ISIS. Ergin was released under judicial control measures after giving his statement to the police.

Ergin’s detention followed his posts reacting to a prolonged armed clash between police and ISIS in the district of Yalova, which lasted several hours and resulted in the deaths of three police officers. In the days prior to his detention, access to several of Ergin’s news reports on ISIS's activities had also been blocked in the past.

“I have been writing about ISIS’s organisation in Turkey for years. But [the government] blocks access to my articles and my account because of this,” Ergin wrote on X on 29 December. He went on to accuse the authorities of tolerating the presence of the armed group, stating: “Turkey, where ISIS has been organising and establishing a base under the banner of Mekteb-i Furkan, and through the Ahlak ve Sünnet (Morals and Religious Precepts) magazine in Yalova, has for years become a safe haven for ISIS.”

Following his release, Ergin’s X account was withheld from access in Turkey.

Access to Furkan Karabay's social media accounts blocked

Access to Medyascope reporter Furkan Karabay's X account has once again been blocked on the grounds of “protecting national security and public order.” Karabay's Instagram account has also been blocked.

Karabay's @FurkannKarabay and @frkarabay accounts were also blocked on 16 May and 26 May.

Karabay was arrested on 15 May as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on charges of “disclosing the names od individuals involved in the fight against terrorism” and “insulting the president.” Karabay was released at the end of the first hearing held at the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 2 December 2025.

Journalist Ağırel receives death threats over reporting on illegal betting and money laundering

Journalist Murat Ağırel, a reporter and columnist for Cumhuriyet, has announced that he has received organised death threats in connection with his reporting on drug trafficking, illegal betting, and money laundering networks.

Ağırel stated that the name of former Interior Minister Mehmet Ağar was referenced in one of the threatening messages he received and shared excerpts of the messages publicly. The threats reportedly also targeted members of his family.

Ağar, a former police chief and senior politician, has for decades been the subject of public controversy and investigative reporting linking him to organised crime networks and the so-called “deep state.” While he has repeatedly denied such allegations, his name has frequently appeared in reporting related to drug trafficking and criminal structures in Turkey.

Responding to the threats, Ağırel said he would initiate legal proceedings and reaffirmed his commitment to journalism. “I will not back down from journalism. I wrote. I am writing. I will write,” he said, adding: “I will continue to stick a spoke in your dirty wheel.”

The threats come amid a series of high-profile investigations launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into illegal betting and money laundering networks. In recent operations, multiple suspects have been detained, including referees and football players, including Fenerbahçe captain Mert Hakan Yandaş.

Separately, Galatasaray’s former deputy chair Erden Timur was arrested on 29 December 2025 in the context of a money laundering probe. Timur, a prominent business figure in the construction sector and a key executive during Galatasaray’s recent transfer campaigns, is accused by prosecutors of laundering funds linked to illegal betting organisations. Ağırel first reported on these transactions in his book Kirli Çark, published in February 2025. The prosecutors’ allegations overlap with findings presented in the book.

At least 28 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

Following the release of Fatih Altaylı, as of 2 January 2026, there are now at least 28 journalists and media workers were in prison in Turkey, either awaiting trial or serving finalized sentences.

The full list can be accessed here.