- In the trials monitored this week, journalists Öznur Değer and Osman Akın were sentenced to 18 months and 10 months in prison, respectively, while LeMan cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan received a prison sentence of 11 months and 20 days over a post made from an X account that was argued not to belong to him. Journalist Sedef Kabaş's case file was sent to an appeals court due to a dispute over the consolidation of cases.
- In the Hakan Tosun murder trial, two defendants were sentenced to life in prison.
- The charges included insulting the president, spreading propaganda for an organization and intentional killing; individuals prosecuted for their journalistic activities received prison sentences.
- Journalist Hüseyin Aykan was released after 24 days, while journalist Derya Okatan was arrested. Access restrictions on X accounts remained in place.
Key developments in journalism and freedom of expression this week included prison sentences handed down to journalists Öznur Değer and Osman Akın over their news reports, the sentencing of cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan over a post shared from a social media account said not to belong to him, and life sentences handed down to two defendants in the case concerning the murder of journalist Hakan Tosun. Journalist Sedef Kabaş's case was referred to an appeals court due to a dispute over the consolidation of cases, while journalist Hüseyin Aykan was released after 24 days in pretrial detention. Other notable developments this week included access restrictions on social media accounts, the arrest of journalist Derya Okatan and missing records in a case concerning allegations of police violence against lawyer Murat Çelik.
JINNEWS News Director Öznur Değer and Osman Akın, former managing editor of the Yeni Yaşam newspaper, were sentenced to prison in a case over their news reports alleging that villagers were tortured during a house raid carried out in 2024 in the Nusaybin district of Mardin, a province in southeastern Turkey. At the fifth hearing held on Oct. 6 at the Mardin 2nd High Criminal Court, the court sentenced Değer to 18 months in prison and Akın to 10 months.
Journalists Öznur Değer and Osman Akın sentenced to prison
LeMan magazine cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison on charges of “insulting the president” over a post shared from an X account that his defense argued did not belong to him. The verdict was handed down at the fifth hearing held on Oct. 6 at the Istanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance.
The fourth hearing in the case concerning the murder of journalist Hakan Tosun, who was beaten to death on a street in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district on Oct. 10, 2025, was held on Oct. 7 at the Bakırköy 17th High Criminal Court. The court sentenced defendants Adnan Şahin and Abdurrahman Murat, both held in pretrial detention, to life in prison for intentional killing.
Verdict in Hakan Tosun murder case: Two perpetrators sentenced to life in prison
A dispute arose over the consolidation of case files in the trial of journalist Sedef Kabaş on charges of “insulting the president” over her social media posts. At the 11th hearing held on Oct. 8 at the Istanbul Anadolu 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, no new ruling was issued on the merits of the case. After the Istanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance rejected the request to consolidate the cases, the file was referred to an appeals court.
Sedef Kabaş’s “insulting the president” case referred to appeals court over dispute
In the trial of five police officers, including two police commissioners, accused of beating lawyer Murat Çelik and detaining him with his hands cuffed behind his back during a protest by the Saturday Mothers, a group seeking justice for victims of enforced disappearances in Turkey, it was reported that audio recordings of the police officers' defense statements have been missing for nearly nine months. The officers are being tried on charges of “exceeding the limits of the authority to use force” and “intentional injury.” Çelik’s lawyers requested the recordings of the police officers' defense statements, given via Turkey's Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS) at the second hearing, four times. An expert examination found that video footage was available but no audio had been recorded. It was reported that the case has made no progress since February due to the missing recordings.
Video available but audio missing for police officers accused of torturing lawyer Murat Çelik
Observations on the right to a fair trial
In the Doğan Pehlevan case, the conviction over a post shared from an account that his defense argued did not belong to him drew attention. In the Hakan Tosun case, it was noted that the courtroom was small and poorly ventilated, that the trial observer faced obstacles when entering the courtroom, and that the judge addressed the defendant using the informal pronoun “sen.” In the Öznur Değer and Osman Akın case, the hearing started late due to the court’s workload, and the defendants were not present in the courtroom.
Other developments this week
Journalist Hüseyin Aykan, owner and editor-in-chief of the Bolu Gündem newspaper, was released after 24 days in pretrial detention following his arrest on Sept. 11 over a news report he published. The first hearing in Aykan’s case is scheduled for Feb. 18, 2027.
Journalist Hüseyin Aykan released after 24 days in detention
Following the arrest of journalist Derya Okatan, a member of the Disciplinary Board of the DİSK Basın-İş journalists' union, without her statement being taken by a prosecutor, journalists gathered outside the Ministry of Justice on Oct. 8. The union called for Okatan’s release, stating that pretrial detention should not be turned into a form of punishment. During the protest, concerns were raised about the arrest of journalists and the functioning of judicial proceedings.
Journalists gather outside Ministry of Justice: “Release Derya Okatan”
A lawsuit was filed against journalist Bircan Değirmenci on charges of “spreading propaganda for an organization” over several posts she shared on her X account in 2015. In her defense statement at the first hearing, Değirmenci acknowledged that the posts were hers but denied the charge, saying her aim was to inform the public.
Lawsuit filed against journalist Bircan Değirmenci over social media posts
An investigation was launched against Cumhuriyet newspaper reporter Gülnur Saydam on charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “slander” over her news report on an official transaction by Esenler Municipality involving the sale of a public road. The investigation once again raised questions about the impact on journalistic activities of reporting on official transactions involving publicly owned properties.
Trade Minister Ömer Bolat filed criminal complaints against journalists İsmail Saymaz and Murat Ağırel over statements and social media posts concerning him in connection with an investment fund investigation.
Access restrictions on social media accounts
Restrictions on access to X accounts in Turkey have continued since September, with more than 1,200 accounts reportedly blocked in September alone. The impact of these restrictions on journalists' ability to share news reports, reach sources and communicate with readers was discussed in interviews with journalists whose accounts had been blocked.
Between Sept. 28 and Oct. 4, access restrictions were imposed in several waves. The X accounts of the EngelliWeb project and the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD), which runs the project, were among those blocked. According to the data shared, at least 150 accounts were blocked on Sept. 28, at least 147 on Sept. 30, at least 31 on Oct. 3 and at least 88 overnight between Oct. 4 and 5. A significant number of the decisions cited “the protection of national security and public order” under Article 8/A of Law No. 5651, Turkey's internet regulation law.
The Bakırköy 7th Criminal Judgeship of Peace also issued an access restriction order on Sept. 30 against the X account of independent news outlet bianet, which had 402,000 followers. As of Oct. 7, the decision had reportedly not been formally served on the organization. The accounts of journalists İrfan Değirmenci, Şirin Payzın, Burak Acerakis, Erdal Sağlam, Dinçer Gökçe, Sarya Toprak, Esra Tokat and Furkan Karabay were also reportedly affected by the restrictions.
Representatives of journalists' professional organizations, civil society groups and political parties gathered outside Turkey's Constitutional Court on Oct. 7 to protest the access restrictions. At the demonstration organized at the call of YENİ Party, participants called for the protection of freedom of expression and freedom of the press, emphasizing that the blocking of accounts was unacceptable.
