Journalist Oktay Candemir is under investigation for allegedly insulting a public official, following a complaint by Abdulahat Arvas, a former mayoral candidate for the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Van, a major city in eastern Turkey. Interestingly, Arvas currently holds no public office.
Abdulahat Arvas, who contested Van's metropolitan municipality for the AKP in the local elections, claimed that Candemir described him as a "thief, embezzler, and bidder" in an article. Despite not being a public official, Arvas's complaint has initiated an investigation where Candemir, accompanied by his lawyer Simin Atabay, provided statements at the İpekyolu District Security Directorate.
During his defense, Candemir emphasized the importance of press freedom, stating, "Abdulahat Arvas is a politician and I have the right to critique public figures, which falls under the scope of press freedom."
Candemir also highlighted the difficulties he faces as a journalist due to ongoing legal challenges and what he perceives as a governmental policy of oppression against journalists. "There has been a longstanding policy of pressuring journalists. We see a judicial club being used against journalists seriously. Every news story or social media post is instantly deemed a criminal element. Journalists are detained and arrested. Most recently, we saw in Van, police officers attacking journalists who were filming, attempting to obstruct them," he said.
"I have been subjected to 57 investigations since 2016, called to the police station to give statements 57 times. During these times, I was detained six times and was physically assaulted on the streets. Nearly 20 cases have been filed against me, and five are still ongoing. Despite these pressures, I continue to uphold my duty as a journalist," Candemir added.
This incident raises significant concerns about press freedom in Turkey, especially in the treatment of journalists who critique political figures.
