In the week of Nov. 24, 2025, at least 59 people stood trial in 10 separate hearings monitored by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), as Turkey’s courts continued to prosecute cases related to freedom of expression, journalism, and protests.
Eight journalists detained while covering protests in Istanbul’s Saraçhane district were acquitted by the Istanbul 62nd Criminal Court of First Instance due to lack of evidence. The journalists had been arrested while reporting on demonstrations following the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. With this ruling, all legal threats against journalists in the Saraçhane case have been lifted.
In contrast, prominent journalist Fatih Altaylı was sentenced to four years and two months in prison by the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court for allegedly "threatening the president" in commentary shared on his YouTube channel. Despite having already spent nearly five months in pretrial detention, Altaylı’s request for release was denied.
Also this week, the Ankara 68th Criminal Court of First Instance held the 16th hearing in the trial of 23 people, including Abdullah Şamil Parlak, charged with violating Turkey’s Law No. 2911 on public assemblies and resisting police during a commemoration of the 2015 Suruç bombing. The hearing was postponed to Jan. 16, 2026, as the defense statements of all defendants have not yet been completed.
In Istanbul, the first hearing of journalist Zafer Arapkirli’s trial was held at the 60th Criminal Court of First Instance. Arapkirli is facing charges of "insulting the president" based on a social media post, following a complaint filed via X (formerly Twitter) by Cem Küçük, a columnist for Türkiye newspaper. The court accepted the request from lawyers representing the president to join the case and postponed the trial to Jan. 13, 2026, for the prosecution’s opinion to be prepared. Arapkirli, in his defense statement, argued, “There is a tip-off, but no crime,” emphasizing the political nature of the case.
Journalist Rüstem Batum’s ninth hearing on charges of “insulting the president” based on five separate social media posts was held at the Istanbul 30th High Criminal Court. Batum did not attend, as the arrest warrant issued against him has not yet been enforced. The case was postponed to April 13, 2026.
The eighth hearing in the trial of civil society worker Erdoğan Kayra Kocagil and 25 others, who are facing charges of violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations for participating in a protest at Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University on Nov. 22, 2021, was held this week. The Istanbul 27th Criminal Court of First Instance ordered the forced attendance of defendants Bensu Sümbültepe, Hüseyin Arif Sarıyaşar, and Utku Rutkay Barut for their defense statements and evidence to be recorded. The trial was adjourned to April 16, 2026.
In another case, journalists Elfazi Toral (JINNEWS) and Sema Korkmaz were put on trial at the Istanbul 25th Criminal Court of First Instance for allegedly violating Law No. 2911 while covering a press statement outside the Istanbul provincial office of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party. Korkmaz and Toral, along with one activist, are defendants in the case. The hearing was adjourned to April 14, 2026, for Korkmaz’s address to be confirmed and her statement to be taken.
On the same day at Istanbul’s courthouse, a verbal order by Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek resulted in only journalists with turquoise press cards being granted entry. Reporters from bianet, İlke TV, and the Turkish representative of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) were among those denied access, effectively preventing them from observing the hearing.
In Diyarbakır, the 7th hearing of lawyer Necat Çiçek’s trial was held at the 5th High Criminal Court. He is accused of “membership in a terrorist organization” due to his legal work and participation in press statements. The indictment relies on anonymous witness testimony and seeks up to 15 years in prison. The court maintained judicial control measures, including a travel ban, and postponed the case to Feb. 24, 2026, to address procedural gaps.
At the same court, journalist Abdurrahman Gök appeared for the ninth hearing in a case where he faces charges of “terror organization membership” and “terror propaganda,” based on his professional activities and anonymous witness claims. Gök argued in his defense statement that all allegations stemmed from a single photo he took of Kemal Kurkut, who was fatally shot by police during Newroz celebrations in 2017. He said the travel ban imposed on him amounted to a second punishment. The court upheld the restrictions and rescheduled the trial for Feb. 26, 2026.
The third hearing in journalist Hatice Şahin’s trial was also held this week at the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court. Şahin, a staff member at the Yeni Yaşam newspaper, had previously received a 6-year, 3-month sentence on charges of “terror organization membership,” which was later overturned. The case again rests on testimony from a secret witness. The court extended both the judicial control order and her travel ban, and postponed the hearing to May 5, 2026, for additional defense.
In Batman, the 30th hearing in the long-running trial of journalist Şerife Oruç was held at the 2nd High Criminal Court. Oruç is charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” based on news content, social media activity, and secret witness statements. The trial, ongoing since 2016, was postponed to June 16, 2026, pending a decision on a case merger.
At the Istanbul 45th Criminal Court of First Instance, journalist Hasan Cemal stood trial over a column published in online outlet T24 on Jan. 16, 2016. He is charged with “insulting the president.” In his defense, Cemal said, “I am here because I defended peace,” arguing that the case is linked to freedom of expression and calls for peace.
In a related development, this week also marked the 10th anniversary of the killing of Tahir Elçi, the president of the Diyarbakır Bar Association. Legal experts and rights advocates noted the failure to hold anyone accountable for Elçi’s death. Three police officers were charged with “causing death by conscious negligence” years after the incident, and were acquitted on June 12, 2024. The case has become a prominent example of impunity in Turkey.
