Turkish Authorities Detain Three Pro‑Opposition Journalists Amid Crackdown on Dissent

January 29, 2025 – Turkey – 

Turkish authorities arrested three journalists from the pro-opposition outlet Halk TV following a controversial broadcast involving an expert witness in a judicial investigation. The detainees—journalist Barış Pehlivan, anchor Seda Selek, and legal affairs manager Serhan Asker—were initially held but released under judicial control. Two additional staff members, program coordinator Kürşat Oğuz and editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş, were detained on subsequent days, with Toktaş reportedly facing arrest warrants.

The arrests stem from a broadcast featuring a recorded phone interview between Pehlivan and a court-appointed expert involved in probes of opposition-led municipalities. Authorities allege that airing the conversation violated privacy laws, influenced the judicial process, and improperly revealed the expert’s identity. Critics contend the move is part of a wider strategy to suppress dissent and intimidate the media, especially in the wake of recent opposition gains in local elections and escalating challenges to President Erdoğan’s authority.

Bloomberg highlights the arrests as emblematic of Turkey’s growing authoritarianism, describing them as a harsher phase of suppressing critical voices. Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists have called attention to a surge in prosecutions, raids, and detentions of journalists over content deemed “anti-state” or “terrorist propaganda”.

Journalists and media unions warn that military-style raids on media outlets and the intimidation of reporters are increasingly normalized as political pressure mounts. This pattern includes the jailing and exile of foreign correspondents, license suspensions, and mounting prosecutions under broadly interpreted anti-terror and “fake news” statutes.

The recent detentions triggered both national and international criticism, with many viewing the charges as politically motivated and lacking a substantive legal basis. The Society of Editors, press unions, and human rights advocates have demanded the immediate release of the journalists and an end to arbitrary media suppression.

Reference – 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-01-29/turkey-detains-journalists-as-opposition-crackdown-intensifies

3 pro-opposition journalists detained in Türkiye after controversial report