CPJ Joins Global Call to Free Turkish Journalist Furkan Karabay

November 13, 2024 – Turkey –

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), alongside six press freedom and free speech organizations, urged Turkish authorities to immediately release court reporter Furkan Karabay, who was detained during a November 8 police raid in Istanbul and jailed pending trial the following day.

Karabay, a journalist with independent outlet 10Haber, was accused of “making targets of those who were tasked to combat terrorism,” “insulting a public servant,” and “knowingly distributing misleading information to the public,” after he named prosecutors involved in the investigation of an opposition mayor via social media. Reuters confirmed that his arrest was linked to posts about the detention of an opposition mayor and judicial corruption investigations.

CPJ and partner organizations criticized the move as a clear criminalization of journalism, emphasizing that reporting on judicial affairs is not a criminal offense. They pointed out that Turkey’s constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights protect press freedom and called the charges a violation of both.

Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative, highlighted that Karabay’s detention is part of a disturbing trend whereby Turkish courts repeatedly jail journalists who cover sensitive judicial and political developments. He urged authorities to cease targeting Karabay and allow journalists to report without fear of arrest.

This statement fits into a broader pattern: Turkey ranks among the world’s top jailers of journalists. Authorities frequently leverage anti-terrorism and “insult” laws to penalize critical reporting. Karabay himself had previously been detained multiple times since late 2023 under similar charges related to his coverage of judicial corruption cases, only to be released pending trial.

The coordinated call from CPJ and its partners urges Turkey to drop the charges against Furkan Karabay and halt the use of Turkey’s legal system to suppress legitimate journalism, sending a vital message that independent reporting must be protected, not punished.

Reference –

CPJ joins call for Turkey to release arrested journalist Furkan Karabay