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July 05, 2025 – Turkey –
Turkish authorities executed early-morning raids targeting two prominent investigative journalists: Timur Soykan of BirGün and Murat Ağırel of Cumhuriyet and Halk TV. The arrests were part of a broader crackdown coinciding with nationwide unrest following the detention of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on March 19—a move that sparked mass protests challenging President Erdoğan’s government.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office charged the pair with “threats” and “blackmail” related to their investigative work on the sale of the Flash Haber TV channel by its jailed owner, Erkan Kork, who faces money-laundering charges. Officials also conducted full searches at their homes, seizing computers, hard drives, mobile phones, and other equipment.
Both journalists were allegedly scheduled to voluntarily give statements, but prosecutors proceeded with detention instead, prompting criticism from Soykan’s lawyer regarding the misuse of judicial power. The arrests have drawn condemnation from media watchdogs in Turkey and abroad. Reporters Without Borders demanded their immediate release, arguing the arrests were retaliation for exposing alleged irregularities in the Istanbul mayor’s case.
Domestic responses included a stinging condemnation from the People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, which labeled the raids as “a clear intervention in the freedom of the press” and asserted, “Journalism is not a crime.” On social media, Soykan vowed defiance, stating, “The gangs will lose, the people will win. This conspiracy… it will all come to an end.”
Their arrest marks the latest episode in a coordinated wave of media repression. Since protest activity erupted over Mayor İmamoğlu’s arrest, over a dozen journalists have been detained for covering anti-government demonstrations—seven facing charges unrelated to journalism. Journalists covering the protests have been increasingly targeted, with hundreds detained since March .
Released on bail the following day, Soykan and Ağırel remain under judicial supervision, including passport confiscation and frequent police check-ins. The case underscores mounting concerns about shrinking media freedom in Turkey, where legal pressure and criminal charges are increasingly wielded to silence critical voices amid democratic backsliding.
Reference –
https://www.birgun.net/haber/birgun-writer-timur-soykan-detained-636317
https://www.newarab.com/news/two-investigative-journalists-arrested-turkey
Journalists Timur Soykan and Murat Ağırel detained amid legal controversy
