Journalist jailed over report claiming AKP MP’s son brought gun to school; Alican Uludağ released at the end of first hearing; court orders journalist Mehmet Yetim’s release, prosecutor blocks decision

Journalist jailed over report claiming AKP MP’s son brought gun to school

Journalist Yeliz Ayaz was imprisoned pending trial in the western province of Aydın on 15 May 2026 on charges of “spreading false information” over a column reporting allegations that the son of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Seda Sarıbaş had brought a knife and a gun to school.

According to the report, several students had submitted complaints to the Presidential Directorate of Communications (CİMER), alleging that Sarıbaş’s son had come to school armed and that the incident had also been reported to the school administration.

Following the publication of Ayaz’s column, Sarıbaş filed a criminal complaint. The Aydın Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office later claimed that reports alleging an MP’s son had brought a gun to school “did not reflect the truth.”

Ayaz was subsequently detained, arrested by the court on duty, and transferred to prison pending trial.

Court orders journalist Mehmet Yetim’s release, prosecutor blocks decision

A court in Şanlıurfa ruled on 16 May 2026 to release imprisoned journalist Mehmet Yetim pending trial, but the prosecutor’s office immediately appealed the decision, resulting in the continuation of his detention.

Yetim, a journalist based in Şanlıurfa, was arrested on 18 April on charges of “spreading false information” under Article 217/A of the Turkish Criminal Code, which criminalizes the public dissemination of “misleading information.” The investigation was launched by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in Şanlıurfa’s Siverek district over his reporting and social media posts.

The case stems from a post Yetim shared on X on 17 April claiming that a parent had carried out a knife attack at Dumlupınar Elementary School in Siverek and injured the school’s deputy principal. Yetim later deleted the post and published a correction based on a statement by the Şanlıurfa Governor’s Office, which said a parent had been detained after displaying “suspicious behavior” at the school and that no one had been injured.

Despite the correction, screenshots of the original post circulated widely on social media and messaging groups, prompting authorities to open an investigation. Yetim was detained at his home in Şanlıurfa, taken to the courthouse after police procedures, and subsequently jailed pending trial after the court ruled that judicial control measures would be insufficient.

KRT TV owner files criminal complaint against striking employees

KRT TV owner Fırat Bozfırat has filed a criminal complaint against 17 media workers who went on strike in May 2025 after their wages were not paid.

The situation for the 158 media workers at KRT, which began with two months of unpaid wages and meal allowances and continued as they were unable to reach a resolution, escalated into a strike on 4 June 2025. The media workers exercised their right to “refuse to work,” causing broadcasts at KRT to cease and the station to switch to pre-recorded programming. On 18 June 2025, the employer made the first installment of payments, stating that the remaining amounts would be paid within three months.

The promises made to the workers were not kept despite the passage of a year. Furthermore, Bozfırat filed charges against 17 media workers for “threat,” “defamation,” “inciting the people to hatred and hostility,” “violation of privacy,” “unlawful disclosure or acquisition of data,” and “disturbing the peace and quiet of individuals.”

Şule Aydın gives statement upon tip-off

An investigation has been launched against journalist Şule Aydın following an email tip-off sent by an individual to the police departments of all 81 provinces. The tip-off alleged that Aydın might be in contact with intelligence services such as “CIA, MOSSAD, MI6.” Aydın gave her statement on 20 May.

The tip alleged that journalist Aydın used “derogatory, mocking, disparaging, and provocative language targeting the Republic of Turkey, the president, members of the judiciary, and law enforcement agencies” through her social media accounts and YouTube broadcasts. The plaintiff requested that charges be filed against Aydın for “insulting the president,” “defaming state institutions,” “inciting the public to hatred and hostility,” and “espionage.”

Aydın’s lawyer, Gamze Pamuk, emphasized that there was no concrete evidence in the case file, stating, “How can a journalist be summoned to testify as a suspect based on an anonymous complaint with an unknown source?”

It is not yet clear whether the investigation will lead to a criminal case.

Investigation against BirGün’s Responsible Editors-in-Chief for “insulting the president”

BirGün news site Responsible Editor-in-Chief Sefer Selçuk Özbek and the newspaper’s Responsible Editor-in-Chief Gökay Başcan are facing an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on charges of “insulting the president.”

Özbek and Başcan gave their statements at the police station on May 20.

The investigation was launched overa news article published in the newspaper on 24 August 2025. The article in question covers the investigations launched against university students who participated in protests following the 19 March detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, as well as the suspension of scholarships and evictions from dormitories.

Access blocked to JinNews and Mezopotamya Agency’s social media accounts

JinNews’s Turkish-language account on X has been blocked from access within Turkey by the Information and Communications Technologies Authority (BTK).

Similarly, access to Mezopotamya Agency’s Turkish- and Kurdish-language X accounts have also been blocked.

No official statement has been made regarding the reason for the access block.

Alican Uludağ released at the end of first hearing

The first hearing in the trial of imprisoned journalist Alican Uludağ on charges of “insulting the president,” “spreading false information,” and “denigrating the Government of the Republic of Turkey and the state’s judicial organs.” was held at the at the Ankara 57th Criminal Court of First Instance on 21 May 2026.

Uludağ joined the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system from the Marmara Prison, where he has been held for three months, while his lawyers were present in the courtroom. P24 monitored the hearing.

In his defense, Uludağ stated, “There is no evidence in the case file other than a single tweet. What business does a terrorism prosecutor have with a journalist? Are we terrorists? The prosecutor first designated me as a suspect and then sought evidence. You do not go from a suspect to evidence. On the day I was detained, the prosecutor collected social media posts with the police. I was abducted from Ankara, taken to Istanbul, and detained. Three charges are being sought against me.”

The prosecutor requested that Uludağ remain in custody, citing “the existence of concrete evidence indicating strong suspicion of a crime, and the presence of grounds qualifying the alleged crime within the statutory minimum and maximum limits.”

The court, taking into account the time already spent in detention and the lack of further evidence to be gathered, decided to release journalist Alican Uludağ.

Click here to read the details of the article.

Prosecutor demands sentencing for Öznur Değer and Osman Akın

The second hearing in the case filed against JinNews News Director Öznur Değer and former Editor-in-Chief of the Yeni Yaşam newspaper Osman Akın on charges of “disclosing the names of individuals assigned with the fight against terrorism” was held at the Mardin 2nd High Criminal Court on 21 May 2026.

While the journalists Değer and Akın did not attend the hearing, their lawyers were present.

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case, requested a sentence for the impugned crime.

The trial was postponed until 16 June 2026.

A case had been filed against Öznur Değer and Osman Akın on the suspicion of “disclosing the names of individuals assigned with the fight against terrorism” over their reporting on a criminal complaint filed against Kamil Aksoy, the commander of the Kızıltepe Gendarmerie Commando Battalion, who was accused of torturing individuals during a home raid in the Nusaybin district of Mardin. The indictment filed by the Mardin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office was accepted by the Mardin 2nd High Criminal Court on the grounds that the report did not fall under the scope of press freedom.

At least 26 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

Following the release of Alican Uludağ and imprisonment of Yeliz Ayaz, as of 22 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.