Elif Akgül acquitted; Furkan Karabay released on house arrest; top court rules for rights violation in Karafazlı’s case; 6 journalists including a French detained while covering Syria protests

Journalist Karabay detained as part of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality investigation

Journalist Furkan Karabay was taken into custody from his home on 22 January as part of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality investigation on charges of “spreading false information.”

Karabay was transferred to the Istanbul Courthouse on the next day,23 January. In his statement to the prosecutor's office, Karabay emphasized that his reports were documented, saying, “All of my reports are based on concrete facts. Therefore, there is no question of spreading false information. I do not accept the charges against me. I demand my release.”

Following his statement, Karabay was referred to the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of Peace by the prosecutor's office with a request for imprisonment. The court decided to release Karabay on house arrest.

Karabay, who hosted a program on YouTube as part of his journalistic activities, was sent to pre-trial detention on 15 May 2025 on charges of “disclosing the names of individuals involved in the fight against terrorism” and “insulting the president” over his statements on the program and his social media posts. After 201 days in detention, Karabay was released at the end of the first hearing on 2 December 2025.

Turkey’s Constitutional Court rules damages sought against journalist violated press freedom

Turkey’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the freedom of expression and the press of journalist Gençağa Karafazlı, owner of the news website kuzeyteve.com, was violated after he was ordered to pay moral damages over three news reports published on his site.

The court ordered the case returned to the 3rd Civil Court of First Instance in the Black Sea province of Rize for retrial to remedy the violation, and ruled that Karafazlı be paid 34,000 Turkish lira in non-pecuniary damages and legal costs.

The case stems from three articles Karafazlı published in 2020 about two individuals, who later filed a lawsuit claiming the reports had harmed their honor and reputation. In October 2021, the Rize court partially accepted the claim and ordered Karafazlı to pay 2,000 and 4,000 lira in moral damages. That ruling was upheld on appeal. Karafazlı then filed a petition with the Constitutional Court in November 2022, arguing that the compensation orders violated press freedom.

In its ruling, the Constitutional Court said that, due to their public status, the individuals mentioned in the reports were required to tolerate a higher level of criticism. It also stressed that the reporting concerned matters of public interest and that the press has a duty to inform the public. The Constitutional Court said that requiring Karafazlı to pay compensation could deter similar reporting and undermine an environment of open criticism. It therefore ruled that the measure did not meet the test of “necessary social need” and constituted a violation.

French journalist detained in Istanbul while covering Syria protests

French journalist Raphaël Boukandoura, a correspondent for the daily newspaper Libération, was detained on 20 January 2026 while covering a protest in Sancaktepe, a district in Istanbul's asian side. The demonstration was organized by the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) against attacks conducted by the Syrian army on Kurdish groups in northern and eastern Syria.

Boukandoura was later transferred to the Provincial Migration Directorate, where he was released. He also works for French media outlets, including Ouest-France and Courrier International.

Five journalists detained in Mardin while covering Syria protestsOn 21 January, police intervened in another protest in the southeastern district of Nusaybin, in Mardin, held in response to the same attacks in Syria. Security forces dispersed the demonstration and detained a large number of people.

Among those detained were Kesira Önel, co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association, as well as journalists Heval Önkol, Ferhat Akıncı, Pelşin Çetinkaya, and Muhammet Ali Yılmaz, who were covering the protest. The journalists were released after giving their statement on 23 January.

Nusaybin lies directly on the Syrian border, adjacent to the predominantly Kurdish Syrian city of Qamishlo.

RTÜK fines SÖZCÜ TV, HBO Max, and MUBİ

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has imposed fines on SÖZCÜ TV, HBO Max, and MUBİ.

RTÜK penalized SÖZCÜ TV for the program “İçimizden Biri” (One of Us), in which host Ekrem Açıkel, under the heading “Should we give the government a report card?”, evaluated the performance of ministers, giving some ministers a “zero” and using the phrase “sit down, zero,” on the grounds that it exceeded the limits of criticism. It was decided to impose an administrative fine of 1 percent on the channel.

As part of sanctions against digital platforms, RTÜK imposed a 5 percent administrative fine on HBO Max for scenes in some episodes of the series “Jasmine” being “contrary to national and spiritual values and general morality.” It was also decided to remove the series from the catalog. It was reported that episodes 2, 4, and 6 would also be removed from broadcast following the first episode.

MUBİ was also fined 5 percent and ordered to remove the film “Passages” from its catalog on the grounds that some scenes were “contrary to national and spiritual values” and “obscene.”

Access blocked to numerous journalists and news sites

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) has blocked access to the websites and X accounts of numerous newspapers and journalists.

The BTK President imposed access restrictions on JinNews and Mezopotamya Agency (MA) on the grounds of protecting national security and public order, with decisions dated 21 January 2026. The censorship includes MA's website, mezopotamyaajansi43.com, and its accounts on the X platform in Turkish, Kurdish, and English; as well as JinNews' website, jinnews.net, and its social media accounts.

Following the censorship, MA began using the address mezopotamyaajansi44.com.

Meanwhile, the Freedom of Expression Association's EngelliWeb (Blocked Webs) page; the website of Etkin Haber Ajansı (ETHA), X accounts of Yeni Yaşam and Ajansa Welat, as well as the X accounts of journalists Akın Olgun, Amed Dicle, Roni Aydın Dere, Doğan Cihan, Yasin Kobulan, Erdal Er, Rawin Sterk, Günay Aslan, Memed Drews, and Nuri Akman, were also blocked.

Former MP Ferhat Encü is also among those whose accounts have been blocked.

Journalist Uğur Ökdemir taken from his home by police

Uğur Ökdemir, news director of the BursaMuhalif website, was taken from his home by police on 19 January.

Ökdemir was questioned on the grounds of “defaming the Ministry of National Education” in reference to a program he did on Muhalif TV with Serkan Bebek, the Bursa Representative of the All Teachers' Union (TÖB SEN).

Ökdemir was released after giving his statement.

Hrant Dink murder: Nineteen years of “judicial resistance”

As a crowd gathered once again to mark nineteen years since the murder of Hrant Dink, the former editor-in-chief of the Turkish-Armenian weekly Agos, the case remains unresolved in its full scope. Hülya Deveci, the Dink family’s lawyer, has drawn attention to what she describes as the gradual transformation of the proceedings into a systematic form of “judicial resistance.” Throughout the trial process, Deveci has consistently underlined the judiciary’s failure to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the chain of events that led to the assassination.

Journalist Elif Akgül examined this judicial trajectory in an article published on P24 Forum, detailing how efforts to establish accountability have repeatedly failed to materialize.

According to Deveci, this pattern of “judicial resistance” began to take shape immediately after the murder in 2007. The failure to identify an overarching organization, a succession of acquittals and statute-of-limitations rulings, the exclusion of key figures as the political climate shifted, and the eventual relegation of Hrant Dink’s family to the status of parties “not directly harmed by the crime” together define the course of the case.

Click here to read the full article.

Serdar Altan sentenced to prison in retrial

The final hearing in the retrial of journalist Serdar Altan, who was charged with “terrorism propaganda” over his social media posts, was held at the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court on 22 January 2026.

Altan and his lawyer, Serdar Çelebi, were present at the hearing.

Despite the appellate court's decision to overturn the verdict, the court sentenced Altan to 1 year and 6 months in prison.

Altan, who was prosecuted over social media posts as part of an investigation launched by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison by the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court on 13 July 2018. Altan appealed the decision to the Court of Appeals. The Diyarbakır Regional Court of Appeals overturned the decision on the grounds of “violation of freedom of expression.” The case was then sent back to the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court.

Timur Soykan and Barış Pehlivan's “disinformation” trial gets underway

The first hearing in the trial of journalists Timur Soykan and Barış Pehlivan, who are being tried on charges of “spreading false information” over their statements on the “Kayda Geçsin” (Let It Be Recorded) program broadcast on Halk TV, was held at the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 22 January 2026.

Pehlivan and his lawyers, as well as Soykan's lawyer Buse Şahin, attended the hearing.

Pehlivan, whose defense was heard, said that he had been a journalist for 23 years and that he was ashamed to be standing before the judge on the charge in question. Pehlivan said, “More recently, a public prosecutor from your court was arrested on charges of bribery. I have written five books on bribery and irregularities in the judiciary. If I were to say that there are no irregularities in the judiciary, then I would be giving false information.”

Pehlivan's lawyer, Gamze Pamuk, reminded the court that her client is a journalist and commentator who shares his views with the public.

Timur Soykan's lawyer Şahin stated that they would be ready for the defense at the next hearing.

The trial was postponed until 14 April 2026.

The case file was sent to the prosecutor's office in the trial of Aslan, Dal, and Alayumat

The fifth hearing in the trial of journalists Mehmet Aslan, Esra Solin Dal, and Erdoğan Alayumat on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” (TCK 314/2) was held at the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 22 January 2026. In the previous hearing, it was decided to merge a new indictment filed against Aslan with the case file.

Aslan connected to the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system from his province. Dal and Alayumat did not attend the hearing.

In his defense, Mehmet Aslan said that the statements of the anonymous witness, which led to the case being brought against him, did not reflect the truth. Aslan said, "I started working as a journalist in Antalya in 2019. The anonymous witness claims that I started this profession under the direction of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association. However, the association was established after the year I started journalism. Therefore, the court should not rely on the anonymous witness's statements.”

The anonymous witness did not answer the questions posed by the lawyers, saying, ”They are trying to identify me."

The court postponed the case until 7 April 2026, for the prosecutor to prepare their final opinion on the case.

Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and journalist Erdoğan Alayumat were detained on 23 April as part of an investigation conducted in Istanbul. The journalists, who were held in custody for three days, were referred to the criminal court of first instance with a request for imprisonment after their statements. The three journalists, who were accused of “membership in a terrorist organization,” were released pending trial on 21 May, approximately one month later. A new indictment against Mehmet Aslan, filed based on the statements of an anonymous witness codenamed “K8Ç4B3L1T5” who had previously testified against many journalists, was merged with the existing case file at the hearing on 20 November 2025.

Abdullah Kaya's trial postponed until April

The 11th hearing in the trial of journalist Abdullah Kaya, who is charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorism propaganda” was held at the Ağrı 2nd High Criminal Court on 22 January 2026.

Kaya was present at the hearing, but his lawyers did not attend, citing excuses.

Defending himself in court, Kaya emphasized that he was a journalist, saying, “I am a journalist; journalism is not a crime. The event in question was a nature festival held with official permits. I was only there for coverage of the festival. I did not commit a crime, I demand my acquittal.”

The court ruled that the outcome of the case pending before the Court of Cassation should be awaited and postponed the trial until 26 April 2026.

Journalist Abdullah Kaya was imprisoned pending trial for reporting on the 2014 Mount Ararat Nature Festival but was later released and his trial continued without detention. The festival was reportedly held with the permission of the then Governor of Ağrı, Musa Işın, and Interior Minister Efkan Ala, and that approximately 50,000 people from surrounding provinces and districts participated.

Court hears witness, maintains travel ban in trial of 19 journalists in Diyarbakır

The eighth hearing in the trial of 19 journalists charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorism propaganda” was held on 20 January 2026 at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. The journalists were detained in June 2022 as part of an investigation by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and were released at the first hearing in July 2023 after more than a year in pretrial detention.

Journalist Elif Üngür and several defense lawyers attended the hearing, which was monitored by P24. The Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and law students from the University of Amsterdam also observed the proceedings.

A witness, identified as Melik Canbay and testifying via videoconference, said he only recognized one defendant, journalist Aziz Oruç, whom he had encountered in Northern Iraq in 2018 while Oruç was working for a news agency. Canbay stated that he did not know whether Oruç had any direct connection to an organization.

Following the testimony, the defense requested additional time to prepare for the next hearing and called for the lifting of the journalists’ international travel ban, which has been in place for nearly four years. The court ruled to maintain the ban, ordered a follow-up on a prior inquiry to security forces, and adjourned the trial until 9 April 2026.

Click here to read more details from the hearing.

Jailed for over 3 months, acquitted in the end: Journalist Akgül cleared of all charges

Journalist Elif Akgül was acquitted of “membership in an organization” in a case brought against her over her professional journalistic activities, as part of an investigation targeting the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK).At the third hearing of the trial, held on 20 January 2026, the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court ruled that the prosecution had failed “to establish that Elif Akgül committed the alleged offense.” Politician Mehmet Saltoğlu, who was tried in the same case, was also acquitted.

Akgül was detained during police operations targeting the HDK carried out in February last year and remained in pretrial detention for more than three months, until her release on 2 June 2025.

The charges brought against Akgül in the indictment, covering the years 2011 to 2012, were based on telephone conversations obtained through wiretaps conducted without a court order. The police officers who carried out these interceptions were later prosecuted in investigations into what became officially known as FETÖ, a terrorist organization linked with the cleric Fethullah Gülen and accused of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt.

The Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court delivered its acquittal verdict after hearing the defenses.

Click here to read more details from the hearing.

Court sentences journalist Terkoğlu for defamation over reporting on İmamoğlu

Journalist Barış Terkoğlu, a columnist and investigative reporter for Cumhuriyet and a commentator on several digital platforms, was sentenced on 20 January 2026 to one year and 15 days in prison on charges of “defamation.”

The Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, which heard the case, ruled to suspend the sentence for two years.

The case was opened following a complaint by the then chief public prosecutor, İrfan Uçar, and stemmed from three columns published in 2022: One titled “They Are Preparing to Get Rid of İmamoğlu,” and two others that elaborated on the same source-based reporting. The articles referred to Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s mayor, who, after winning a second term in the March 2024 local elections, has been jailed since 19 March 2025.

In the columns, Terkoğlu argued that a case launched after İmamoğlu referred to the then interior minister as a “fool” carried significant political stakes, and that prosecutors may have been seeking a five-year ban on holding public office should he be convicted. As the basis for this assessment, he pointed to changes in judicial appointments and reassignments, interpreting them as part of a judicial process aimed at politically sidelining İmamoğlu.

In his defense, Terkoğlu said the column raised concerns that the chief prosecutor at the time was exerting pressure on the judiciary at the Anadolu Courthouse. “Developments over the past four years have confirmed what I wrote,” he told the court. “For example, I reported that Judge Hüseyin Zengin, who was overseeing the ‘fool’ statement investigation, was under pressure. That judge was subsequently reassigned to another city.” Terkoğlu concluded by stating, “I am a journalist. I pursue the truth,” and requested his acquittal.

Terkoğlu’s lawyer, Enes Ermaner, argued that the complainant prosecutor’s name was not explicitly mentioned in the article but only referred to through initials. “My client is a journalist. His article is grounded in fact and serves the public interest,” Ermaner said. “Although the accusation rests on an allegation of false reporting, my client obtained the information from a source and presented it in a manner consistent with the apparent reality.” He also requested acquittal.

The court ultimately sentenced journalist Barış Terkoğlu to one year and 15 days in prison on charges of defamation, while ruling that the sentence be suspended for a period of two years.

Buse Söğütlü's trial postponed until April

The third hearing in the trial of journalist Buse Söğütlü and four others, who were detained while covering the 21st Feminist Night March in 2023, was held at the Istanbul 10th Criminal Court of First Instance on 20 January 2026.

Söğütlü, who is alleged to have insulted the police officer by saying, “You can not rummage through my bag,” said the following in her defense: "I was already dispersing when I was dragged into the police cordon. Then they pushed me against the police bus. They pounced on me and searched me, including my bag and private areas. If they had asked for my ID, I would have given it to them." Söğütlü said she was harassed by the police and reiterated his complaint against them. Söğütlü also stated that she was covering the event as a journalist.

The judge decided to have the police officers forcibly brought to court and postponed the case until 15 April 2026.

At least 28 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

As of 23 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.