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September 23, 2025 – Turkey –
Istanbul, September 2025 — Eight Turkish journalists are under legal threat after being charged with “insult” and “disseminating false news” over remarks made during political talk shows. Three broadcasters from TELE1 were arrested after airing a graphic that compared President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Israel’s prime minister; they have since been released pending investigation. Meanwhile, columnists Barış Pehlivan of Cumhuriyet and Timur Soykan of BirGün stand accused of defaming the judiciary during a previous Halk TV discussion, each facing up to four and a half years in prison. Two additional Halk TV journalists, Mehmet Tezkan and İbrahim Kahveci, were also indicted for remarks made in a 2024 broadcast. All have denied intent to insult the president.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has denounced the prosecutions as part of a broader strategy to silence dissent and independent commentary in Turkey. CPJ Turkey representative Özgür Öğret urged authorities to embrace critical reporting as essential to democracy rather than criminalizing it.
These cases occur against a backdrop of persistent pressure on media freedom in Turkey, which CPJ regularly ranks among the worst jailers of journalists globally. State authorities have frequently used broad and ambiguous laws concerning insult and false information to target reporters, critics, and commentators.
The journalists maintain that their statements were based on public sources and did not constitute unlawful speech. Yet the threat of lengthy sentences looms, even as trials have not yet been scheduled. In the face of mounting international concern, the cases pose a stark warning about the fragility of media rights under restrictive regimes.
Reference –
8 Turkish journalists face jail for ‘insult’ and ‘false news’ over talk show comments
