DW reporter Uludağ jailed; prosecutor seeks sentencing for Nisanur Yıldırım; indictment filed against Enver Aysever; appeal against acquittal of İsmail Arı rejected

Deutsche Welle reporter Uludağ jailed

Deutsche Welle Türkçe’s Ankara correspondent Alican Uludağ was imprisoned pending trial on 20 February in Istanbul.

Uludağ was detained in Ankara on 19 February on charges of “insulting the president” and “spreading false information” over his social media posts and news report.

As part of an operation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, police raided Uludağ's home in Ankara, and arrested the journalist on the grounds of his news report about the release of ISIS members who planned the Istanbul Atatürk Airport attack and his social media posts on X. Following the arrest in connection with the investigation, the charge of “denigrating the Turkish nation” was added with permission from the Ministry of Justice.

On 20 February, Uludağ gave a statement to the prosecutor at the Istanbul Courthouse. Following his statement, Uludağ was referred to the criminal judgeship of peace on duty with a request for imprisonment on charges of “insulting the president.” In his defense, Uludağ emphasized that his posts were merely criticism. However, the court ruled that Uludağ should be placed in pre-trial detentionj on charges of “insulting the president.”

In a report aired on NOW TV on 18 December 2024, Uludağ announced to the public that the Court of Cassation had ruled to release six defendants who had been sentenced to 46 aggravated life sentences and 2,604 years in prison for causing the deaths of 45 people at Atatürk Airport.

Case filed against MA reporter Ceylan Şahinli

A case has been filed against journalist Ceylan Şahinli for participating in a memorial service for journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, who were killed in a drone attack in Syria.

The indictment filed by the Suruç Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which launched an investigation against MA reporter Şahinli, on charges of “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations,” was accepted by the Suruç Criminal Court of First Instance.

The Suruç Criminal Court of First Instance, which accepted the indictment, is expected to set a trial date in the coming days.

Indictment filed against Enver Aysever for “inciting hatred and hostility”

An indictment has been filed against detained journalist Enver Aysever on charges of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility.”

Journalist and writer Enver Aysever, who was detained over statements he made against right-wingers in a YouTube broadcast, was imprisoned pending trial on 11 December on charges of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility.”

The indictment filed by the Küçükçekmece Chief Prosecutor's Office used the phrase “openly incited left-wing citizens against right-wing citizens” as the criminal act. The prosecution, which presented the comments under Aysever's post as evidence of “incitement,” stated that the statements in the video could not be considered within the scope of freedom of expression.

Appellate court rejects appeal against acquittal of İsmail Arı

The appellate court has handed down its decision in the case brought by AKP Bursa MP and former Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank, in which BirGün reporter İsmail Arı was acquitted. The appellate court rejected Varank's appeal, stating that the acquittal decision was in accordance with the law.

A case was filed against BirGün reporter İsmail Arı on charges of “insulting a public official” upon Varank's complaint. At the fourth hearing in the case at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, the prosecutor requested a sentence, but the court acquitted Arı, stating that “the alleged offense is not defined as a crime in the law.” The decision was then appealed to the Istanbul Regional Court of Appeals.

On 11 February 2026, the court unanimously decided to dismiss the appeal on the grounds that “there was no procedural or substantive violation of the law in the first instance court's decision, there were no deficiencies in the evidence or proceedings, and the assessment was appropriate in terms of proof.”

Arı was on trial over his news report titled “Deniz manzaralı araziyi Varank’ın ‘kuzeni’ kaptı!” (Varank's ‘cousin’ snatched up the seaside property!) published in BirGün on 18 November 2022.

İsmail Arı gives statement on suspicion of “insult”

Journalist İsmail Arı gave a statement on suspicion of “insult” on 16 January after Türk Telekom CEO and former Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) President Ebubekir Şahin filed a complaint against him, citing his news report as grounds.

In his article published on BirGün daily, Arı wrote that Şahin had placed his daughter in the Competition Authority through an exceptional appointment without the need for an exam.

In his statement, Arı said, “Ebubekir Şahin is a public figure due to both his previous and current positions. The fact that his daughter was hired as a civil servant without taking an exam is newsworthy, and reporting this is simply a routine journalistic activity... I did not commit a crime; I was just doing my job as a journalist.”

Journalist Aslan gives statement on suspicion of “spreading false information” in Kayseri

Kayseri-based local journalist Ali Türk Aslan was detained on 16 February on suspicion of “spreading false information” over his report about a police raid.

Aslan was taken to the Security Branch of the Kayseri Police Department, where he was questioned by the police.

Aslan was later released on the instructions of the Kayseri Public Prosecutor's Office, after his phone was confiscated.

Press card fee considered “terrorist financing”

The payment of the International Press Card fee provided by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporter Pınar Gayıp took place among the questions asked to journalists during their police statements.

In an operation targeting the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) in 22 cities across Turkey on 6 February, 81 people were imprisoned pending trial on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorism propaganda.” Among those imprisoned were ETHA journalists Elif Bayburt, Müslüm Koyun, Nadiye Gürbüz, and Pınar Gayıp.

In the financial analysis report included in Gürbüz's police statement, it was seen that she was asked about the payment for the International Press Card (IPC) application she made on behalf of Gayıp.

The report stated that the TL 350 sent by Gürbüz to the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS) on 6 August 2021, with the explanation “Pınar Gayıp IFJ card fee,” was evaluated under the heading “money transfer with persons subject to proceedings for terrorism offenses.”

As part of the investigation, Gürbüz was asked “for what purpose” and “on whose instructions” she made this money transfer.

Gökhan Durmuş, President of the TGS, said, “The fee in question is for the IFJ card. Anyone who carries an IFJ card in their pocket is a journalist. Attempts to fabricate a crime here are futile.”

İnan Ketenciler acquitted in retrial

The first hearing in the retrial of journalist İnan Ketenciler, which began after the Constitutional Court's violation ruling, was held at the Istanbul 55th Criminal Court of First Instance on 19 February 2026.

In the case, which was re-examined in line with the Constitutional Court's ruling, the Istanbul 55th Criminal Court of First Instance acquitted Ketenciler.

Ketenciler was tried for filming the mistreatment of a citizen by security guards on 23 June 2019, and sharing it on his social media account. The Ketenciler was charged with “obtaining or disseminating personal data in violation of the law” and “recording or disseminating audio or video during investigation and prosecution proceedings.” The Istanbul 55th Criminal Court of First Instance sentenced him to one month in prison for “recording or disseminating audio or video recordings during investigation and prosecution proceedings,” converted this sentence to a fine of TL 500 for 25 days, and decided to postpone the sentence. Following this decision, Ketenciler filed an individual appeal. The Constitutional Court reviewed the appeal, ruled that the journalist's freedom of expression had been violated, and ordered for a retrial.

Prosecutor demands sentencing for Nefes reporter Nisanur Yıldırım

The second hearing in the trial of Nefes newspaper reporter Nisanur Yıldırım, who is charged with “insulting a public official” upon a complaint by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, was held at the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 18 February 2026.

Yıldırım did not attend the hearing, but her lawyer Merve Bilgin and Ersoy's lawyer were present. P24 monitored the hearing.

The prosecutor presented their final opinion on the case and demanded that Yıldırım be punished for the impugned crime.

Yıldırım's lawyer requested time to prepare a defense against the prosecutor’s opinion on the case. Ersoy's lawyer, Hasan Hüseyin Kalafat, stated that they agreed with the opinion and requested that Yıldırım be punished.

The court accepted the request for time and postponed the case until 11 June 2026.

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Mehmet Şahin's case file sent to the prosecutor's office

The sixth hearing in the trial of writer and journalist Mehmet Şahin on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court on 17 February 2026.

Mehmet Şahin and his lawyer Resul Temur were present at the hearing.

The court ruled that the case file should be sent to the prosecutor's office for the preparation of the final opinion on the case. The trial was postponed until 11 June 2026.

The trial of journalists prosecuted for royalties postponed

The second hearing in the trial of journalists Erdoğan Alayumat, Tuğçe Yılmaz, Suzan Demir, Gülcan Dereli, Kemal Taylan Abatan, translator Serap Güneş, and sociologist Berfin Atlı, who are being tried on charges of “aiding a terrorist organization,” was held at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court on 17 February 2026.

The defendants did not attend the hearing.

The court decided to postpone the case until 28 April 2026, pending the results of the examination of digital materials.

Trial of Öznur Değer and Osman Akın postponed until May

The first hearing in the trial of JinNews News Director Öznur Değer and former Editor-in-Chief of Yeni Yaşam newspaper Osman Akın, who are charged with “disclosing the names of individuals involved in the fight against terrorism” over their news reports, was held at the Mardin 2nd High Criminal Court on 17 February 2026. The journalists are on trial over their reporting on allegations of torture during a police raid on a house in the Turkey’s southeastern Nusaybin district of Mardin on 16 July 2024.

Değer was present at the hearing, while Akın did not attend. Değer's lawyers, Erdal Kuzu, Ali Kahraman, and Berivan Orhan, co-chair of the Mardin branch of the Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD), were also present at the hearing.

In her defense, Değer stated, "The incident in question is a journalistic activity. I received information that the gendarmerie had raided the village of Marin and tortured the villagers. Upon hearing this, I went to the village, gathered information about the incident during my interviews. Through open-source research, I learned that the name of the Kızıltepe. Gendarmerie Commander was Kamil Aksoy, and there were statements that he had physically tortured women and threatened them with sexual assault. In this context, citizens obtained assault reports; the reports included evidence of torture. I was conducting journalistic activity.”

During Değer's defense, the presiding judge asked whether Aksoy's photo was used in the news report. Değer continued her defense as follows: “I also used his photo in the news report. Kamil Aksoy's photo is already available in open sources. Therefore, the allegation of ‘disclosing’ does not reflect the truth.”

Lawyer Kuzu said, “My client's actions do not constitute a crime. The news report was made within the scope of press freedom and for the purpose of informing the public. My client's intent was to inform the public. The elements of the crime have not been established."

Other lawyers also stated that Değer was engaged in journalistic activity and that the news and posts did not constitute a crime.

After the defenses, the court postponed the case until 21 May 2026.

Can Bursalı appears before judge on two charges

The first hearing in the trial of journalist Can Bursalı, who is charged with “spreading false information” and “insulting a public official” over news reports published on the Duvar news site, was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 17 February 2026.

Bursalı and his lawyer Melike Polat were present at the hearing.

Bursalı stated that the statement he gave to the prosecutor's office was valid. The plaintiff requested to join the case as co-plaintiff on the grounds that he had suffered damage from the crime.

The court accepted the plaintiff’s request to join the case. The court ruled that Bursalı be excused from the hearings because his defense had been received and postponed the case until 24 September 2026.

At least 34 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

As of 20 February 2026, following the imprisonment of journalist Uludağ, there are now at least 34 journalists and media workers were in prison in Turkey, either awaiting trial or serving finalized sentences.

The full list can be accessed here.