Arapkirli is on trial for “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” and “spreading false information” over a post condemning the massacres targeting Alawite villages in Syria

CANSU PİŞKİN, ISTANBUL

The third hearing in the trial of journalist Zafer Arapkirli, who is being tried on charges of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” and “spreading false information” was held at the Istanbul 23rd Criminal Court of First Instance on 10 March 2026.

Arapkirli and his lawyers did not attend the hearing, which was monitored by P24, citing reasons for their absence.

The prosecutor, presenting their final opinion on the case, requested that Arapkirli be punished for the charges of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” and “spreading false information.”

The court accepted Arapkirli's lawyers' excuse but rejected their request to hear witnesses, arguing that it would not affect the substance of the case. The court gave Arapkirli and his lawyers a final opportunity to prepare their defense against the opinion before the next hearing and postponed the case until 27 March 2026.

Background of the case

In a post on his X account on 9 March 2025, Zafer Arapkirli used the following statements regarding the raids on Alawite villages and massacres in some regions during the internal conflicts that began after the overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria: "Where are these men going? a) To Latakia and Tartus to kill Nusayris, b) To Çorum to kill Alawites, c) To Kahramanmaraş to kill Alawites, d) To the Madımak Hotel in Sivas to burn Alawites, e) All of them." Arapkirli also tagged the Sivas Police Department in the post.

On 15 April 2025, the Sivas Provincial Police Department filed a report on Arapkirli and sent it to the Sivas Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. After launching an investigation against Arapkirli, the Sivas Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sent the file to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office with a decision of lack of jurisdiction.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which completed the investigation against Arapkirli, charged the journalist with “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” and “spreading false information” in the indictment dated 26 April 2025.

The indictment stated: "In evaluating the specific incident, the suspect publicly spread false information through posts on his social media account, which is accessible to many people. At a time when the public was following events and many conflicts were taking place around the world, and that he used disinformation-filled and public peace-disrupting expressions in a way that created the perception that an operation was being carried out against people of the Alevi faith, using an image of a group of people holding weapons and moving in a convoy. The suspect committed the crime of publicly spreading false information. The suspect's post crossed the line of criticism against people of the Alevi faith and constituted incitement against Alevi citizens, posing a clear and imminent threat to public safety. Therefore, the statements cannot be considered within the scope of freedom of expression, and it is understood from all investigation documents that the suspect committed the crime of publicly inciting the people to hatred and hostility..”