Police raid offices of two newspapers; journalist Çelik arrested, others obstructed during 1 May protests; rights defender Kaya given 6 year-3 month prison term; two journalists given jail term

Police raid on the offices of the Yeni Demokrasi and Özgür Gelecek newspapers In home raids targeting socialist parties and youth organizations ahead of 1 May, a large number of people were detained. During operations conducted on 28 April, raids were also carried out on newspaper offices. 

Those detained included members of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), the Socialist Solidarity Platform (SODAP), the Socialist Reconstruction Party (SYKP), Student Solidarity, and the Student Initiative, as well as readers of Partizan and members of the People’s Front. 

It was noted that those detained were taken to the Istanbul Provincial Police Department. 

Additionally, raids were conducted on the offices of the Özgür Gelecek and Yeni Demokrasi newspapers.

Journalist Yusuf Çelik arrested, others obstructed on 1 May while covering protestsJournalist Yusuf Çelik, who was covering the protests during a police intervention in Mecidiyeköy, Istanbul, as part of May Day events, was detained.

During the intervention targeting citizens attempting to march from Mecidiyeköy to Taksim, police attacked with pepper spray and water cannons, and numerous people were beaten and detained. According to reports, a total of 512 people were arrested during the interventions. 

Journalists were also targeted during the police’s harsh intervention, and Yusuf Çelik, who was on the scene, was detained at that time.

Meanwhile, in Mecidiyeköy, police blocked the area with plastic shields to prevent journalists from filming citizens who were surrounded by police and being detained.

New case filed against imprisoned journalist İsmail ArıA case has been filed against journalist İsmail Arı, who has been in pre-trial detention at Sincan Prison for 39 days, over a re-tweet from three years ago.

Arı stated, “Another case has been filed against me while I am in prison. My ‘crime’ is retweeting, without comment, a tweet from a news site three years ago regarding the former Deputy Director of the Ankara Provincial Police Department. They want to punish me for this.”

The indictment filed by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on charges of “insulting a public official” noted that the Ankara Provincial Police Department is listed as the “plaintiff,” while the former Deputy Director of the Ankara Provincial Police Department, Mukadder Kardiyen, is listed as the “victim.”

The first hearing will take place at the Ankara 47th Criminal Court of First Instance on 17 September 2026.

The case file in the Metastaz 2-Cendere case sent to the prosecutor’s office for final opinion The 11th hearing in the trial of journalists Barış Terkoğlu, Barış Pehlivan, Can Bursalı, Nevzat Çiçek, Doğan Akın, Gökmen Karadağ, Ayşenur Arslan, Fatih Portakal, and Can Özçelik on charges of “insult” and “defamation” was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 30 April 2026. The case was filed following a complaint lodged by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s former lawyer, Mustafa Doğan İnal. 

The defendants were absent from the hearing, but their lawyers were present. P24 monitored the hearing. 

The lawyerf or defendant Fatih Portakal argued, “At the time of the incident, there was a book that had been published and garnered significant attention. This book is still in circulation, and there is no order to seize it. My client is conducting an interview with the book’s author. He is fulfilling the most fundamental aspect of journalistic activity. There is no crime here,” and requested an acquittal. 

The court decided to send the case file to the prosecutor’s office to prepare its final opinion on the case and adjourned the trial until 27 October 2026.

Their book “Metastaz 2: Cendere,” published in December 2020, included allegations regarding Mustafa İnal, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s former lawyer, stating that “money was given to judicial officials; courts were pressured; a French company was rescued from Turkish creditors; the reasoned decision was shown to lawyers before it was written.” These allegations were the subject of numerous news reports and interviews by many journalists.

Following İnal’s complaint, a lawsuit was first filed against Terkoğlu, Pehlivan, and Can Bursalı, alleging that they “damaged İnal’s honor, dignity, and reputation within society.” The case expanded as Nevzat Çiçek, Doğan Akın, Gökmen Karadağ, Ayşenur Arslan, Fatih Portakal, and Can Özçelik were successively added as defendants during the hearings.

Meanwhile, Mustafa İnal also filed a TL 300,000 lawsuit for moral damages against journalists Bursalı, Terkoğlu, and Independent Türkçe, alleging “an attack on his personal rights.” However, the Istanbul 11th Civil Court of First Instance ruled to dismiss the case.

RTÜK imposes fine on two opposition channelsThe Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has imposed a 2 percent administrative fine on Halk TV, citing remarks made by CHP MP Cemal Enginyurt directed at Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin during the “Sansürsüz” program aired on the channel. The Board argued that, despite the host’s intervention, the remarks “crossed the line of criticism” and were “demeaning.”

Using a similar rationale, remarks made by TİP MP Sera Kadıgil on the “Nokta Atışı” program aired on SZC TV were also subject to a fine. RTÜK imposed a 1 percent fine on the channel, alleging that Kadıgil’s remarks “discredited state institutions.”

Attack on journalist Süleyman Topbaş in Aydın

Süleyman Topbaş, the Aydın Provincial Representative of the Federation of Internet Journalists (İGF), was attacked while walking with his wife on 2 May.

In the evening, while walking with his wife in Atatürk City Square in the Aydın’s Efeler district, Topbaş got into a verbal argument with a group that identified themselves as members of the Idealist Hearths. As the argument quickly escalated, the incident turned into a physical altercation.

As tensions rose, the group attacked Topbaş, and reportedly his clothes were torn during the scuffle. The incident caused brief panic in the area, and bystanders intervened to try to separate the parties.

Following the incident, Topbaş went to the police station to file a complaint. The police teams have launched an investigation into the incident and are continuing efforts to identify the suspects.

Human rights defender Nurcan Kaya sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prisonThe final hearing in the case against human rights defender Nurcan Kaya, charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” and “violation of the law on the prevention of the financing of terrorism,” was held at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court on 30 April 2026.

Kaya and her lawyers were present at the hearing.

Beginning her defense, Kaya described her professional background, stating that she has worked in the field of human rights for many years. “I was subjected to this investigation because of the work I have done as a researcher, lawyer, and legal expert,” said Kaya, noting that there was no concrete evidence against her.

In his defense, lawyer Veysel Ok argued that the indictment was not based on concrete evidence. Reminding the court that communication records had been destroyed, Ok said, “There is not even a debate over whether the evidence is unlawful; because the evidence itself does not exist.”

Following a brief recess, the court sentenced Kaya to 6 years and 3 months in prison—the minimum sentence—for the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.” The court ruled that no additional sentence was warranted for the charge of “organization financing,” as it was deemed to fall under the scope of the “membership in a terrorist organization” charge.

Prison sentence for Tolga Şardan The fifth hearing in the trial of journalist Tolga Şardan on charges of “spreading false information,” and “denigrating the state’s judicial organs” was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 30 April 2026. 

Şardan and his lawyers were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24. 

The prosecutor had previously requested in their final opinion that Şardan be punished for the impugned crimes. In his defense against the charges, Şardan stated, “What has happened in the judicial system since I wrote the news article is clear. My article pertains to the report submitted by the National Intelligence Organization to the president. I reject the charges against me. I demand my acquittal.” 

The court acquitted Şardan of the charge of “spreading false information” but sentenced him to 5 months in prison for “denigrating the state’s judicial organs”. The sentence was deferred.

Click here to read the details of the article.

Tolga Şardan acquitted in the “insulting the police force” case The second hearing in the case against journalist Tolga Şardan, filed on charges of “publicly insulting the state’s military or law enforcement agencies” following a complaint by the Legal Affairs Directorate of the General Command of the Gendarmerie, was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 30 April 2026. 

Şardan and his lawyers were present in the courtroom. P24 monitored the hearing. 

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case, requested that Şardan be punished. 

In his defense, Şardan stated, “I brought the news in question to the public’s attention in the public interest. The claims in the news article are not my own. It is not I who publicly disparaged the institutions, but the uniformed personnel of the relevant institution,” and requested acquittal. 

Özlem Tekşen, one of Şardan’s lawyers, stated, “The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued a decision of no grounds for prosecution regarding the same article. A person cannot be tried more than once for the same act. We are requesting acquittal.”

Lawyer Gökhan Tekşen also argued, “It is established that the events described in the news article in question occurred, and the institution has not issued any denial. Is the one who wrote this the one insulting, or the one who did it? The journalist documented the events as they occurred and reported them in the public interest,” and requested an acquittal. 

The court ruled to acquit Şardan on the grounds that the elements of the impugned crime were not established.

Click here to read the details of the article.

Prison sentence for Hamdiye Çiftçi Öksüz The final hearing in the trial of journalist Hamdiye Çiftçi Öksüz, Hakkari Deputy Mayor Mehmet Sıddık, who was removed from office by the Ministry of the Interior on 3 June and replaced by an appointed administrator, and eight other defendants, on charges of “leading a terrorist organization” and “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the Hakkari 1st High Criminal Court on 29 April 2026. 

Akış, who is being held at the Van High-Security Closed Prison, participated in the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system (SEGBİS). Akış’s lawyers, Vezir Coşkun Parlak, a member of parliament from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), and his family were present at the hearing. 

After hearing the defenses, the court panel announced its decision, upholding the 19-year, 6-month prison sentence previously imposed on Akış for “leading a terrorist organization.” The court sentenced journalist Öksüz and two other defendants to 6 years and 3 months in prison on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization,” while sentencing the remaining defendants to 8 years and 9 months in prison for the same charge. 

Trial of İsmail Arı and Yaşar Gökdemir adjourned until October The fourth hearing in the trial of BirGün newspaper reporter İsmail Arı and Editor-in-Chief Yaşar Gökdemir on charges of "defamation" was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 28 April 2026. The case was filed upon a complaint by MHP MP Levent Uysal and his spouse Ece Uysal. 

The plaintiffs’ lawyer was present at the hearing, which Arı, Gökdemir, and their lawyers did not attend. P24 monitored the hearing. 

The attorney for the plaintiffs, Levent Uysal and his wife Ece Uysal, requested that the missing procedural steps be addressed. 

The court accepted the excuse submitted by Arı and Gökdemir’s lawyer and postponed the case until 20 October 2026, to allow for the completion of the missing procedural steps. 

Trial of five journalists adjourned until September The third hearing of the trial of journalists Erdoğan Alayumat, Tuğçe Yılmaz, Suzan Demir, Gülcan Dereli, Kemal Taylan Abatan, translator Serap Güneş, and sociologist Berfin Atlı on charges of “aiding a terrorist organization” was held at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court on 28 April 2026. 

Alayumat and his lawyer, Didare Hazal Sümeli, were present at the hearing. 

The court decided to postpone the trial until 17 September 2026, pending the examination of digital materials. 

Trial of journalist Can Öztürk and 14 students postponed until July The trial of journalist Can Öztürk, who was arrested while covering the Boğaziçi University protests, and 14 students on charges of “resisting a police officer” and “participating in unlawful assemblies and marches,” resumed at the Istanbul 69th Criminal Court of First Instance on 27 April 2026. 

Two police officers appeared as “plaintiffs” at the hearing, which was attended by Öztürk and 11 students. 

The court accepted the request of the two plaintiffs heard during the hearing to join the case. However, the defense lawyers’ requests to obtain an expert report, to request all footage related to the incident, and to expand the investigation were rejected. 

The trial was postponed until 3 July 2026.

At least 26 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

As of 1 May 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.