Committee approves transfer of BTK's internet powers to presidential body; ETHA reporter Müslüm Koyun released pending trial; prosecutor demands sentencing for Berivan Kutlu

Committee approves transfer of BTK's internet powers to presidential body

Parliament’s Planning and Budget Committee on 14 July approved provisions transferring wide-ranging internet-related powers from the Information and Communications Technologies Authority (BTK) to the Cybersecurity Presidency, a body established in January 2025 under the Presidency.

The bill would authorize the Presidency of Cyber Security to order unspecified "measures" on its own initiative or at the request of security and intelligence agencies. The decisions would then have to be implemented by telecommunication operators, access providers, data centers and relevant content and hosting providers within two hours, before being submitted to a judge for approval within 24 hours. 

The provisions would transfer to the Presidency of Cyber Security a range of BTK responsibilities concerning social networks, game platforms and internet regulation, along with the related technical systems, data centers and personnel. They would also grant the presidential body broad new powers to order measures affecting internet access, services and infrastructure. The Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD) warned that the proposal would create an “end-to-end censorship and surveillance backbone” by concentrating these powers within a security institution.

The bill is now set to be placed on the agenda of Parliament’s General Assembly.

Prosecutor demands sentencing for Hakkı Boltan and Delil Zengeralp

The fourth hearing in the case, which was filed following the seizure of certain books displayed at the Aram Publishing stand during the 2024 Diyarbakır Book Fair against Hakkı Boltan and publishing house employee Delil Zengeralp on charges of “terrorism propaganda,” was held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court on 16 July 2026.

Boltan and Zengeralp were absent from the hearing, but their lawyer, Resul Temur, was present. P24 monitored the hearing.

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case demanded the conviction of Boltan and Zengeralp for “aiding and abetting a terrorist organization.”

Lawyer Resul Temur requested time to make a statement in response to the prosecutor’s opinion. The court granted his request and adjourned the case until 1 December 2026.

Click here to read the details of the article.

Prosecutor demands sentencing for Berivan Kutlu

The fourth hearing in the trial of journalist Berivan Kutlu on charges of “terrorism propaganda” over social media posts about Maraş earthquake was held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court on 16 July 2026.

Resul Temur, Kutlu’s lawyer, was present at the hearing monitored by P24. Kutlu, however, did not attend the hearing.

The prosecutor announcing their final opinion on the case demanded sentencing for Kutlu for the impugned crime.

The court adjourned the trial until 1 December 2026.

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Imprisoned ETHA reporter Müslüm Koyun released pending trial

An Istanbul court on 16 July ordered the release of Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporter Müslüm Koyun, who had been imprisoned pending trial since February on a charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.”

At the second hearing before the Istanbul 22nd High Criminal Court, a witness identified as Mustafa T. withdrew his statement from the investigation stage, saying he had been forced to sign a document without knowing its contents. Koyun also requested his release, noting that he had been behind bars since February.

The court ordered Koyun’s release and adjourned the trial until 27 October 2026.

Koyun was arrested on 3 February in an Istanbul-based operation targeting the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and imprisoned pending trial three days later. His indictment, which cited his journalistic activities as evidence, was prepared in early June, around four months after his arrest.

Click here to read the details of the article.

Prosecutor seeks conviction of LeMan cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan for "insulting the president"

A prosecutor on 14 July sought the conviction of LeMan cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan on a charge of “insulting the president” over a social media post published from an account he denies owning.

At the fourth hearing before the Istanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance, the judge said a source-identification report prepared by the Cybercrime Department had been added to the case file. Pehlevan’s lawyer requested time to examine the report, which identified the account as belonging to his client despite Pehlevan’s previous denial.

The prosecutor argued that the charge had been established based on the reports in the case file and requested Pehlevan’s conviction and the continuation of judicial control measures. The court upheld his travel ban and adjourned the trial until 6 October, allowing the defense time to respond to the prosecutor’s final opinion.

Pehlevan was arrested in June 2025 amid an investigation into a cartoon published by LeMan, which prosecutors claimed were defamatory, and was subsequently charged in two separate cases. He was released pending trial in November 2025 in both proceedings. P24 monitored the hearing.

Click here to read the details of the article.

Trial of Öznur Değer on charges of “obstruction of official duties” and “insult” gets underway

The first hearing in the trial of JinNews News Director Öznur Değer and two other defendants, who face charges of “obstruction of official duties” and “insult” was held at the Kızıltepe 6th Criminal Court of First Instance on 14 July 2026.

The court decided to take Değer’s statement at the next hearing and adjourned the case until 15 December 2026.

Değer is on trial on the grounds that she protested against being detained under torture and the psychological abuse directed at her family by the police during a raid on her home in the Kızıltepe district of Mardin on 7 February 2025.

At least 22 journalists and media workers behind bars in Turkey

Following the release of journalist Müslüm Koyun, as of 17 July 2026, there are at least 22 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either awaiting trial or serving finalized sentences.

The full list can be accessed here.