NİMET ÖLMEZ
An investigation has been launched against journalist Oktay Candemir following a complaint by Ferman Yıldırım, a mayoral candidate from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Çaldıran, a district of Van in eastern Turkey. The complaint stems from a news story and social media posts Candemir made regarding Yıldırım's candidacy.
Candemir had posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on March 30, 2024, stating that Yıldırım, the AKP’s Çaldıran mayoral candidate, would be unable to vote in the March 31 local elections because his official residence was still registered in Antalya, a city on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Yıldırım filed a complaint, claiming that Candemir's post violated his privacy.
As part of the investigation, Candemir was called to the police station on April 2 to provide a statement. In his defense statement, Candemir argued that his reporting was a matter of public interest. "Ferman Yıldırım is a politician, and everything related to him has news value," he said. He added, "I reported this in an ironic tone, which falls under press and freedom of expression."
