Turkish courts held 10 hearings related to freedom of expression and press freedom this week in Istanbul, Batman, Diyarbakır, and Elazığ, involving at least 30 individuals, including 16 journalists, two lawyers, one academic, and one cartoonist. The week was marked by the release of two detainees, one acquittal, and multiple trial adjournments.
Academic Emrah Gülsunar released after 36 days in detention
Academic Emrah Gülsunar appeared before the Istanbul 51st Criminal Court of First Instance on Nov. 17 for the first time, facing charges of “public incitement to commit a crime via the press” over a Twitter poll he shared. The court granted additional time to the prosecutor for a final opinion and released Gülsunar under judicial control, including a travel ban. He had been detained since Oct. 13.
Cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan released in Erdoğan insult case
LeMan cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan was released in his second hearing on Nov. 18 after being held in solitary confinement conditions at Kartepe High-Security Prison since July 2. Pehlevan had been prosecuted for allegedly “insulting the president” based on posts from an X (formerly Twitter) account that he says does not belong to him. The Istanbul 36th Criminal Court of First Instance imposed a travel ban and signature obligation as judicial controls and adjourned the case to March 24, 2026.
Hayko Bağdat acquitted in retrial following Constitutional Court ruling
Journalist Hayko Bağdat was acquitted on Nov. 20 in a retrial over allegedly insulting İşbank’s former CEO Adnan Bali. Bağdat had previously been fined in 2023, but the Constitutional Court ruled in April 2025 that the conviction violated his freedom of expression and ordered a retrial. The Istanbul 55th Criminal Court of First Instance acquitted Bağdat at the first retrial hearing.
New indictment merged into case of journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat
On Nov. 20, the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court merged a new indictment based on secret witness “K8Ç4B3L1T5” into the ongoing trial of Mezopotamya Agency reporters Esra Solin Dal and Mehmet Aslan and journalist Erdoğan Alayumat, who face charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.” The trial was adjourned to Jan. 22, 2026.
ÇHD lawyer Seda Şaraldı’s trial postponed for the 20th time
The long-running trial of Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) member Seda Şaraldı and 11 others on terrorism charges saw yet another delay on Nov. 20 at the Istanbul 32nd High Criminal Court. The court granted the prosecutor time to prepare a final opinion and maintained travel bans on the defendants. The next hearing is set for April 30, 2026.
Court to await file from Court of Cassation in Tolga Şardan’s trial
T24 journalist Tolga Şardan appeared in court on Nov. 20 over his article alleging irregularities in the judiciary based on a reported MİT briefing. The 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul decided to request the case file of a judge named in Şardan’s article from the Court of Cassation and postponed the trial to April 30, 2026.
Witness testimony delays Mehmet Üçar’s trial
The trial of journalist Mehmet Üçar, charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” over his work for Yeni Özgür Politika and PolitikArt, was delayed on Nov. 20 by the Batman 2nd High Criminal Court. The court ruled to locate a witness and maintained the travel ban on Üçar.
Ayşenur Arslan to be brought by force in Metastaz 2 trial
In the Nov. 20 hearing of the trial over the book Metastaz 2: Cendere, the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance ordered journalist Ayşenur Arslan to be forcibly brought to the next session, as her defense statement had not yet been recorded. The case involves several journalists accused of defamation over their mention of lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal.
Retrial begins in lawyer Özüm Vurgun’s case after acquittal overturned
Lawyer Özüm Vurgun was retried on Nov. 20 by the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court after an earlier acquittal was overturned. Accused of “membership in a terrorist organization” based on informant testimony, Vurgun did not attend the hearing. The court will summon a witness and request related investigation files. The travel ban on Vurgun remains in place.
Arrest warrant still active for journalist Baransel Ağca
In Elazığ, the 10th hearing of journalist Baransel Ağca’s trial was held on Nov. 20. He is charged with “unlawfully disseminating personal data” for sharing autopsy reports on Yeldana Kaharman’s death. Ağca and his lawyer were absent, and the court postponed the case to Feb. 24, 2026, due to an outstanding arrest warrant.
Other developments in freedom of expression
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Protest trial exposes irregularities: A police officer testified that he filed a report without seeing the governor’s protest ban during a trial involving 120 people detained during demonstrations over Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s brief detention.
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Unanswered questions in Hakan Tosun killing: MLSA’s investigative article highlighted missing footage, gaps in witness handling, and lack of transparency in the investigation of Hakan Tosun’s death, raising concerns over impunity.
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Alican Uludağ faces “disinformation” probe: Journalist Alican Uludağ is under investigation by the Bakırköy Chief Prosecutor’s Office for allegedly “spreading misleading information” over a report on Berk Akand, convicted in the Şule Çet case.
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Four investigations against İsmail Arı: Journalist İsmail Arı is facing four separate investigations triggered by complaints from various individuals and institutions following his critical reporting.
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Hilal Kaplan articles blocked: A court ordered access restrictions on 1,509 URLs, including news and social media posts about pro-government columnist Hilal Kaplan, citing “violation of privacy.”
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Access blocked to İmamoğlu’s campaign account: The X account “Presidential Candidate Office” linked to Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was blocked in Turkey due to national security concerns—marking the fourth such access ban.
This roundup reflects ongoing pressure on journalists, academics, and legal professionals in Turkey through the legal system and digital censorship.
