Sedef Kabaş detained over social media posts; prosecutor demands sentencing in retrial of Ahmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak; Osman Akın acquitted of “terrorism propaganda”

Yeni Yaşam employee Zilan Gül detained for 4 days

Yeni Yaşam newspaper employee Zilan Gül was detained during a raid on her home on 26 January.

Gül, who was detained on suspicion of “terrorism propaganda,” was released on 30 January.

Sedef Kabaş detained over social media posts

Journalist Sedef Kabaş was detained on 26 January on allegations of “insulting the president” and “incitement to commit a crime” over her X posts.

She gave her statement on 27 January, saying she had exercised her freedom of thought and expression in her X posts.

After giving her statement to the prosecutor's office, Kabaş was referred to court and released under judicial control measures, including a ban on leaving the country and a requirement to sign in regularly.

Royalties paid to editors in prison considered “financing terrorism”

An investigation has been launched into Kor Kitap Yayınları (Kor Books Publications) on the grounds of “terrorist activity” due to royalties paid to Tonguç Ok and Necip Baysal, who are in prison, for their translation, writing, and editing work.

The publishing house representative who made the payments was detained on 23 January as part of the investigation. The representative was held in custody for four days and then released under house arrest.

Kor Kitap emphasized that the imprisoned writers and translators continue their work and stated that the royalty payments are legal and legitimate. The publishing house stated that these payments are used to meet basic needs in the prison canteen and criticized the portrayal of canteen purchases as “support for terrorist activities.”

Prosecutor to draft their final opinion on the case in trial of Berivan Kutlu

The second hearing in the trial of Mezopotamya Agency reporter Berivan Kutlu, who is charged with “terrorism propaganda” over statements she allegedly made during a television broadcast she participated in after the 6 February 2023 earthquakes and her social media posts was held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court on 29 January 2026.

Kutlu's lawyer, Resul Temur, was present at the hearing, which was followed by P24. Kutlu did not attend the hearing.

The prosecutor requested time to prepare their final opinion on the case. The court accepted the request and postponed the case until 14 April 2026.

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Prosecutor demands sentencing in retrial of Ahmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak

The first hearing in the retrial of journalists Ahmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak, who are charged with “aiding an illegal organization without being a member” after the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation overturned their original sentence, was held at the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court on 27 January 2026.

Nazlı Ilıcak and her lawyer Tuğper Derin, as well as Ahmet Altan's lawyer Figen Albuga Çalıkuşu, were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24. Altan did not attend the hearing.

Explaining their final opinion on the case, the prosecutor requested that Altan and Ilıcak be punished separately for the crime of “knowingly and willingly aiding an illegal organization, even though they were not members of it.”

Requesting time to prepare a defense against the opinion, Ilıcak said, “The alleged crime is a very serious accusation. The allegations against me are not based on any concrete evidence. The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) evaluates all my actions within the framework of journalism. I am not guilty, and I demand my acquittal.”

Altan's lawyer, Çalıkuşu, also said, "When the Court of Cassation first examined our case, the ECtHR decision was taken as a basis, but now the ECtHR decision is being ignored. As you know, there is also an ECtHR decision regarding my client. There is no valid explanation under the law for considering one of two ECtHR decisions with the same content in the same case file while disregarding the other." Çalıkuşu also requested time to prepare a defense against the opinion.

The court postponed the case until 12 March 2026 to allow for the preparation of defenses against the prosecutor’s opinion.

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Trial of Fatoş Erdoğan and 19 other defendants adjourned until June

The second hearing in the trial of 20 people, including journalist Fatoş Erdoğan, three of whom are in custody, on charges of “openly inciting to commite crime” over their social media posts opposing the appointment of a trustee to the CHP Istanbul Provincial Directorate, was held at the Istanbul 9th Criminal Court of First Instance on 28 January 2026.

The trial was postponed until 3 June due to the judge's medical leave.

Aram Publishing Hoouse case adjourned until April

The second hearing in the trial of Aram Publishing House’s owner Hakkı Boltan, and his employee Delil Zengeralp, who are charged with “terrorism propaganda” following the seizure of two books at the Aram Publishing House stand in 2024, was held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court on 27 January 2026.

At the first hearing on 9 October 2025, the case file was sent to the prosecutor to prepare their final opinion on the case. The prosecutor requested that the defendant be punished for the impugned crime. When the presiding judge reminded him that there was more than one defendant in the case, the prosecutor realized he had mixed up the files and requested more time to prepare their final opinion on the case.

The court accepted the request for more time and postponed the case until 14 April 2026.

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Osman Akın acquitted

The 21st hearing in the case brought initially against journalists Osman Akın and Veysi Sarısözen on charges of “terrorism propaganda” was held at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court on 27 January 2026.

No one appeared at the hearing.

The court acquitted Akın.

At the previous hearing, the court had decided to separate Sarısözen's case.

At least 28 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

As of 30 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.