Two journalists were arrested and four television channels critical of the government were fined by Turkey’s media regulator RTÜK within the span of a week, sparking strong reactions from press freedom organizations.
The Turkish Journalists’ Association (TGC) released a written statement addressing the arrests and the administrative fines imposed on Halk TV, Sözcü TV, Tele1, and NOW TV. The statement warned that ongoing pressure on journalists and media poses a serious threat to press freedom and democracy in Turkey.
“Unjust detentions and arrests of journalists reporting on government activities that are not in the public interest continue. RTÜK is acting as a censorship apparatus,” the statement read.
Reporter Handcuffed, YouTuber Jailed
The TGC statement also highlighted the case of T24 reporter Can Öztürk, who was detained while covering protests at Boğaziçi University. Despite showing his press card, he was reportedly handcuffed behind his back for eight hours, his card was destroyed, and he was later released under judicial control.
Meanwhile, YouTube journalist Furkan Karabay was arrested on charges of insulting the president and “targeting individuals involved in counter-terrorism efforts.”
RTÜK Fines Critical Channels One After Another
RTÜK fined Halk TV and Sözcü TV three percent of their monthly revenue for airing a report on an attack against CHP leader Özgür Özel, in which they allegedly broadcast unverified information about a car being denied entry to a parking garage. The authority said the reports lacked a statement from the deputy police chief.
Tele1 was penalized similarly for airing an interview by journalist Ayşemden Akın with Cemil Önal, an associate of murdered businessman Halil Falyalı. RTÜK claimed the interview violated the privacy of the children of prominent politicians Hakan Fidan and Binali Yıldırım. NOW TV was fined over alleged covert advertising for the Disney+ streaming platform.
35 Out of 40 Fines Target Four Channels
According to Tuncay Keser, a member of RTÜK appointed by the opposition CHP, 35 of the 40 fines issued by the authority in 2025 were aimed at these four channels. This supports claims that RTÜK is disproportionately targeting critical media outlets.
“Journalism Is Not a Crime”
The TGC’s statement included the following call: “The pretrial detention of journalists is unacceptable. All imprisoned journalists must be released immediately. RTÜK must stop silencing media organizations through excessive fines and unlawful penalties. Journalism is not a crime.”
Released and Rearrested
Arif Kocabıyık, host of the online street interview channel İlave TV, was arrested on May 7 for allegedly insulting President Erdoğan during an Instagram interview. Though he was released on May 14, he was detained again the next day and placed in pretrial detention.
Kocabıyık’s lawyer, Ömer Furkan Dağ, stated: “Arif was taken into custody again. The prosecutor challenged the earlier release order by citing two old cases in which Arif had already been questioned and released. Although the court rejected the challenge, the prosecutor personally issued a new detention order.”
