BARIŞ ALTINTAŞ
Can Öztürk, a reporter for the independent Turkish news outlet T24, gave a statement to police on Saturday after a criminal investigation was launched against him over his report on child abuse allegations involving a university professor. The investigation was opened under Turkey’s controversial "censorship law" following a complaint by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akın, the subject of the news story.
Accompanied by lawyers from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), Öztürk appeared at the Security Branch Directorate of the Istanbul Police Department. In his statement, he said he had interviewed children who made allegations of abuse during so-called “conversion therapy” sessions led by Akın. He stated that he gave Akın the opportunity to respond to the allegations, included his responses in full, and did not add any personal commentary. Öztürk maintained that he acted in line with journalistic ethics and professional standards, and called for the case to be dropped.
Attorney Batıkan Erkoç from MLSA’s Legal Unit, which is representing Öztürk, argued that the news report was professionally produced and respected Akın’s right to respond. He stated that the complaint was a misuse of legal rights intended to suppress the public’s right to access information. Erkoç also noted that the time limit for initiating a press law-related case had already expired and called for a decision of non-prosecution.
Background to the case
The investigation stems from a news report published by Öztürk on March 4, 2025, titled “Abuse and harassment allegations during ‘conversion session’; children accuse, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akın denies: ‘These kids are out of control!’” The article reported that Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akın, formerly the dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences at Istanbul Medeniyet University, conducted so-called "conversion therapy" sessions targeting LGBTQ+ children, during which some participants claimed they were sexually harassed.
The article included interviews with several children who made the allegations, as well as Akın’s responses to the accusations. Akın categorically denied the allegations in the article.
On March 7, 2025, Akın filed a legal complaint through his attorney, claiming that the accusations were false and defamatory. Prosecutors then launched an investigation into Öztürk for allegedly “openly spreading misleading information” and “defamation.”
In response to the news report, Istanbul Medeniyet University announced on March 5 that it had launched an internal investigation into Akın and suspended him from his position as department head while the investigation was ongoing.
