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21 December 2024 – Turkey/Syria –
Turkish journalist Özlem Gürses was detained on December 20, 2024, after remarks made during a YouTube livestream were interpreted as critical of the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). In her statement, she referred to the TSK-Syrian National Army structure in a context that some perceived as associating it with ISIS. This triggered immediate legal action, with prosecutors charging her under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code for “insulting state institutions” and under Article 217/A for “publicly disseminating misleading information.” These provisions, frequently used to silence dissenting voices in Turkey, carry criminal penalties, though they are often treated as lesser offenses in court procedures.
The following day, Gürses was placed under house arrest by an Istanbul court and prohibited from international travel. Authorities fitted her with an electronic ankle monitor. Gürses insisted her words were misunderstood and taken out of context, stating there was no intention to insult the Turkish military. Her legal team described the arrest as a disproportionate and politically driven reaction, emblematic of the broader suppression of press freedom in Turkey. The case drew widespread criticism from journalists and human rights groups, who viewed it as another example of weaponizing the judiciary to intimidate the media.
In the spring of 2025, Gürses was convicted of “publicly insulting the military organization” and sentenced to one year and three months in prison. However, the court suspended the sentence under probationary conditions, allowing her to avoid incarceration unless she reoffended. Subsequently, her house arrest was lifted, and the travel ban was removed. On live television, she marked her release by removing her ankle monitor and expressing gratitude to viewers and fellow journalists who supported her during the ordeal.
The case of Özlem Gürses underscores the increasingly fraught environment for journalists in Turkey, where legal instruments are regularly deployed to punish critical commentary. While she ultimately returned to her broadcasting role on Sözcü TV, the episode has intensified concerns over self-censorship, judicial impartiality, and the fragile state of press freedom under Turkey’s current political climate.
Reference –
Turkish journalist detained for criticizing Turkish army’s actions in Syria
