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January 28, 2026 – Turkey –
Turkish television journalist and commentator Sedef Kabaş was briefly detained by authorities in Istanbul on January 26–27, 2026, after prosecutors opened an investigation into several of her social media posts, charging her with “insulting the president” and “inciting the commission of a crime” under Turkey’s penal code. The İstanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office cited specific posts on the platform X that authorities said violated laws on defamation and public order, though critics argue these laws are used to curb dissenting speech.
Kabaş was taken into custody late at night and questioned by prosecutors about three posts dating from previous months. One of the posts referenced political tensions in Turkey by asking if only soldiers carry out coups — a wording interpreted by authorities as a veiled criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Another post alluded to perceptions of illegitimacy among political leadership, and a third discussed civil disobedience in the context of elections, which Kabaş told investigators she considers a constitutional right, not a criminal act.
After completing her prosecution procedures the following morning, a magistrate court released Kabaş under judicial control, imposing an international travel ban and requiring her to report to police periodically for the next several months. Her defence maintains that her posts are protected under freedom of expression and that she did not intend to insult the president.
This detention is not Kabaş’s first encounter with Turkey’s “insult” laws. She has been facing a separate trial since 2023 on similar charges tied to 25 social media posts, with another hearing scheduled shortly after her release. In previous years, she was prosecuted under similar laws and even received prison sentences that were later suspended or appealed.
Press freedom advocates and civil liberties organisations have criticised the use of criminal defamation and insult provisions in Turkey, arguing that such laws chill free speech and are disproportionately applied to journalists and commentators critical of the government. Conditions like travel bans and reporting requirements are seen as part of a broader environment of legal pressure on media professionals in the country.
Reference –
https://bianet.org/haber/tv-anchor-sedef-kabas-detained-overnight-over-social-media-posts-316088
https://mlsaturkey.com/en/sedef-kabas-released-under-judicial-control
