Court rules for lack of jurisdiction but still accepts indictment against Alican Uludağ; case filed against Mehmet Murat Yıldırım for "insulting the president"; second investigation against Can Öztürk over same news story

Court rules for lack of jurisdiction but still accepts indictment against Alican Uludağ

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has drafted an indictment against imprisoned journalist Alican Uludağ on charges of “insulting the president,” “spreading false information,” and “publicly denigrating the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the state’s judicial organs.”

The indictment was sent to the Istanbul 26th Criminal Court of First Instance. Although the court acknowledged that it lacked jurisdiction over the case and ruled that the file should be sent to Ankara, it accepted the indictment. The court also decided to continue Uludağ’s imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Uludağ’s lawyers filed an individual application with the Constitutional Court. The application argued that the detention order violated five fundamental rights, primarily the right to personal liberty, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press.

Deutsche Welle Turkish correspondent Alican Uludağ was detained on 19 February as part of an investigation initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, citing social media posts as grounds. Uludağ, who was detained in Ankara, was brought to Istanbul on 20 February where he was imprisoned pending trial by the court on charges of “insulting the president.”

Case filed against journalist Mehmet Murat Yıldırım for “insulting the president”

A case has been filed against journalist Mehmet Murat Yıldırım on charges of “insulting the President” over his social media posts and journalistic activities.

In the indictment prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the content published in Özgür Yurttaş Haber, where Yıldırım served as editor, as well as the posts and comments on social media, were cited as grounds for the charge.

It was noted that the investigation was launched during the period of social unrest that began on 19 March 2025, following the arrest of Ekrem İmamoğlu. Posts related to calls for boycotts during this period, as well as the sharing of news reports on this topic, were included in the case file. News regarding young people and journalists detained during the same period, along with content related to street protests, were also cited as evidence in the indictment.

The first hearing will take place at the Ankara Criminal Court of First Instance on 8 September 2026.

Second investigation against Can Öztürk regarding the same news story

Journalist Can Öztürk was summoned to the police station on 1 April at the prosecutor’s instruction and gave a statement over a news report he had written on child abuse. The investigation was opened due to T24 reporter Öztürk’s article titled “Allegations of harassment and abuse during a transformation session; children accused, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akın denied: These children have gone off the rails!”

A previous investigation had been opened against Öztürk regarding this report on Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akın, charging him with “spreading false information,” but that case was dismissed. T24 reporter Öztürk testified in the new investigation launched this time under the allegation of “unlawful acquisition of personal data.”

The report stated that Ahmet Akın had conducted sessions known as “conversion therapy” targeting children with LGBT+ identities, and that children who participated in these sessions had made allegations of abuse; it also included Akın’s responses to these allegations.

The judicial control measures imposed on cinematographer Koray Kesik lifted

The hearing in the trial of Koray Kesik, the cinematographer of the “Bakur” documentary film, on charges of “terrorism propaganda” was held at the Batman 2nd High Criminal Court on 2 April 2026.

Kesik and his lawyer, Emine Özhasar, were present at the hearing.

The judge asked Kesik how the documentary was planned, and the defense began.

Kesik explained that he is a documentary filmmaker, is 55 years old, and has been working in the industry for approximately 30 years. He noted that he has participated in over 60 documentary projects and has worked with many directors in Turkey. He highlighted that he has participated in documentary film projects targeting various ethnic groups and professional sectors, from the Aegean to the Black Sea region, with a particular focus on Kurdish cities. Kesik also mentioned that he has directed music videos, commercials, and public service announcements, stating that all of these are part of his work.

Subsequently, lawyer Emine Özhasar argued in her defense, “According to the definition of a documentary, it is about narrating realities. The ‘Bakur Documentary’ is also a documentary and does exactly that. The ‘Bakur Documentary’ addresses a festering wound in Turkey. My client served as the cinematographer. He sought to bear witness to history.” Özhasar requested an acquittal for her client and the lifting of judicial control measures.

Following the defenses, the court took a recess. After the recess, the court announced its decision, lifting the judicial control measures, and postponing the case until 12 May 2026.

Trial of Timur Soykan for “insult” gets underway

The first hearing in the trial of journalist Timur Soykan on charges of “insult” was held at the Eskişehir 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance on charges of on 1 April 2026. Soykan, who is on trial following a complaint by AKP-affiliated social media user Tuğrul Selmanoğlu, presented his defense via written statement at the Anadolu 9th Criminal Court of First Instance.

Soykan stated that he did not commit the offense of insult, and that he made the social media post in question as a journalist within the scope of the public’s right to information.

The court ruled that the case file be sent to the Eskişehir 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance.

The “Özgür Gündem solidarity” case postponed

The 16th hearing in the “Özgür Gündem solidarity” case, in which the acquittal rulings issued against Erol Önderoğlu, the Turkey Representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), rights defender Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, and journalist Ahmet Nesin were overturned by the appellate court was held at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court on 31 March 2026. The defendants are now being retried on charges of “incitement to commit a crime,” “praising an offense or an offender,” and “terrorism propaganda.”

Önderoğlu and his lawyer were present at the hearing.

During the brief hearing, the court decided to postpone the case pending a response to a letter sent abroad.

The trial was adjourned until 15 September 2026.

At least 26 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

As of 3 April 2026, there are at least 26 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either awaiting trial or serving finalized sentences.

The full list can be accessed here.