Eylem Sonbahar
Journalist Furkan Karabay has been sentenced to a total of nearly two years in prison over comments he made during a YouTube interview, following a complaint by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his children—Bilal Erdoğan, Ahmet Burak Erdoğan, and Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar.
The Istanbul 56th Criminal Court of First Instance handed Karabay 11 months and 20 days in prison for “insulting the president” and 1 year, 1 month, and 10 days for “defamation.” However, the court deferred the announcement of the verdict, meaning the sentence will not be enforced unless Karabay commits another offense within a set probation period. He was acquitted of a separate charge of “insult.”
The case stems from comments Karabay made during an appearance on journalist Mirgün Cabas’ YouTube program on Jan. 19. Based on those remarks, Erdoğan and his children filed a complaint alleging “insulting the president,” “insult,” and “defamation.”
Defense argues comments referenced public documents previously verified by high court
At the April 18 hearing, Karabay and his attorney Enes Hikmet Ermaner were present, as was the Erdoğan family’s lawyer. The prosecutor reiterated a previous opinion, demanding that Karabay be convicted on all charges.
In his defense statement, Karabay declared he had no expectations from the judiciary, saying, “I have no requests from any of the courts in Çağlayan Courthouse, where lawlessness is present every minute of every day.”
Karabay’s lawyer, Enes Hikmet Ermaner, argued that the journalist’s statements referenced previously publicized documents known as the “Man Adası (Isle of Man) papers.” These documents were originally revealed by opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and alleged offshore financial dealings involving Erdoğan's relatives. While Erdoğan filed lawsuits against Kılıçdaroğlu at the time, the Court of Cassation later ruled the documents were authentic and dismissed those cases. “Therefore, the documents referred to in the broadcast in question have been confirmed as genuine by the Court of Cassation. No crime has been committed,” said Ermaner.
Prosecutor cited public broadcast and 'specific accusations' in indictment
According to the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Karabay’s comments suggested the Erdoğan family had obtained financial gains through illicit means. Statements cited included: “I think he got what he wanted here as a family. His family is already doing well in maritime transport. They also have solid capital. The Man Adası documents also surfaced here, I think Erdoğan got what he wanted as capital…”
Prosecutors argued that these remarks amounted to “specific accusations of unlawful enrichment” and that, due to the public nature of the YouTube broadcast, the offense met the criteria for “public defamation.” The indictment claimed Karabay had the intent to insult and defame the president and his family and asked the court to convict him on all counts.
The court ultimately ruled for conviction on two charges, acquittal on one, and deferred the announcement of the final judgment, a legal mechanism in Turkey that suspends the verdict unless the defendant reoffends.
