Turkey: Journalist Furkan Karabay’s Release Highlights Ongoing Press Freedom Crisis

November 18, 2024 – Turkey –

Furkan Karabay, a court reporter for 10Haber, was arrested on several occasions in Turkey due to his investigative reporting and outspoken social media commentary on judicial and political figures. Most recently, he was detained on May 15, 2025, under charges of “targeting public officials involved in counter‑terrorism” and “insulting” President Erdoğan, connected to his reporting on the arrest of Istanbul’s opposition mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. This arrest followed a prior conviction in April 2025 for defamation and insulting the president, which resulted in a deferred sentence of 25 months.

Similarly, Karabay was previously arrested on November 8, 2024, over his reporting on the detained Esenyurt mayor, facing charges of “targeting public officials,” “insulting,” and disseminating misleading information. The court ultimately released him on November 18, 2024, finding his detention “inconsistent with the contents of the case” and allowing judicial controls to continue instead.

On May 27, 2025, Karabay appeared before the Istanbul 22nd High Criminal Court. During the hearing, he denounced the charges as “sloppy,” defended his journalism as serving public interest, and questioned whether reporting the names of officials should constitute a crime. The court granted a delay in proceedings, scheduling the next hearing for October 2.

International advocacy groups have strongly condemned the ongoing prosecution and judicial persecution of Karabay. In November 2024, Freedom House and other press freedom networks issued a joint statement calling for his immediate release, labeling the charges—insulting a public official and targeting anti‑terrorism officials—as inappropriate suppression of journalistic speech. In May 2025, PEN International and PEN Belarus echoed this demand, urging Turkish authorities to cease judicial harassment, repeal criminal defamation laws, and uphold journalists’ right to report freely. They emphasized Karabay’s ordeal as emblematic of Turkey’s broader crackdown on press freedom.

Karabay’s repeated arrests and legal persecution underscore the precarious status of the media in Turkey. The invocation of anti-terrorism and presidential insult laws against reporters is a recurring pattern, fueled by the state’s increasing intolerance for scrutiny of political leaders and judicial developments. While Turkish courts have occasionally ordered his release, the charges persist, exemplifying the deepening crisis of journalistic freedom and the weaponization of legal mechanisms to silence critical voices.

This case not only highlights Karabay’s struggle but also signals the urgent need for reform: Turkey must end the targeting of journalists, revise defamation and anti-terrorism statutes, and expand legal safeguards to ensure a free and independent press.

Reference – 

https://penbelarus.org/en/2025/05/28/turkiye-release-and-end-judicial-harassment-of-furkan-karabay.html

https://freedomhouse.org/article/call-immediate-release-journalist-furkan-karabay

https://bianet.org/haber/court-orders-release-of-journalist-furkan-karabay-301922