Prosecutors in Yüksekova, a district in Turkey’s southeastern Hakkari province near the Iraqi and Iranian borders, have issued an arrest warrant for journalist Nedim Türfent on charges of “spreading terrorist propaganda” based on four posts he shared on social media.
According to the case file submitted to the Yüksekova Criminal Judgeship of Peace on May 7, the arrest warrant is based on Türfent’s posts on X (formerly Twitter) that included photos of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkish authorities consider any expression of support or dissemination of PKK-related content as terrorism propaganda, under broad anti-terror laws frequently criticized by rights groups.
One of the posts cited is Türfent’s sharing of an analysis published by France’s Le Monde newspaper on March 1 about Öcalan’s portrayal in Western public opinion. Prosecutors used the photo of Öcalan featured in Türfent’s post as evidence in the case file.
Another post flagged by prosecutors was Türfent’s retweet of a Le Parisien news report about a march in Strasbourg calling for Öcalan’s release. The Le Parisien article, titled “Thousands rally in Strasbourg for PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan’s freedom,” included photos of Öcalan and PKK symbols, which the indictment lists as evidence.
The investigation also includes Türfent’s post quoting an opinion piece by Faruk Bildirici published on the independent Turkish news site T24 on February 16. The tweet contained a photo of Öcalan, which prosecutors argue constitutes propaganda.
Additionally, Türfent’s retweet of a message by Eren Keskin, co-chair of the Human Rights Association (İHD), is included in the case. Keskin’s January 8 post commemorated the three Kurdish activists—Sakine Cansız, Leyla Şaylemez and Fidan Doğan—who were killed in Paris on January 9, 2013. Prosecutors noted that photos of the murdered activists appeared in the tweet.
Speaking to the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), Türfent described the investigation as absurd. “This investigation is an example of the extent of pressure on freedom of expression and press freedom in Turkey,” he said. “There is not a single statement of my own in these posts. They are news reports from France and Turkey that contain photos of Öcalan. Issuing an arrest warrant for this is legally unacceptable.”
Türfent emphasized that dozens of stories about Öcalan and the PKK are published in Turkey every day. “Of course, these stories include photos of Öcalan. If this is a crime, then thousands of journalists would have to be jailed,” he said, calling for the immediate withdrawal of the arrest warrant.
Türfent is no stranger to legal pressure. He previously spent six years and seven months in prison after the Hakkari 2nd High Criminal Court sentenced him to eight years and nine months for publishing what the court described as “disturbing news reports.” Türfent was arrested on May 12, 2016, and released on November 29, 2022, after completing his sentence.
