Turkish journalist Oktay Candemir is under investigation for two separate charges related to his reporting: "publicly spreading misleading information" and "violating a publication ban." As part of the investigations, Candemir went to a police station to give his statement.
The first investigation, launched by the Van Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, concerns a news report Candemir shared on social media regarding an incident at the Kartalkaya ski resort in Bolu, a province in northwestern Turkey. A publication ban had been imposed on the report by the Bolu 2nd Criminal Judgeship of Peace. In his statement, Candemir noted that he had shared the news before the ban was issued and that he was simply carrying out his journalistic work.
The second investigation accuses Candemir of "publicly spreading misleading information" over another social media post. During his statement to the police, he emphasized that he is a journalist and that his post was intended to inform the public. Candemir also underlined that journalism is constitutionally protected in Turkey and rejected the accusations against him.
His lawyer, Heliz Alparslan, argued that Candemir was acting within his constitutional rights as a journalist and that the charges against him were baseless.
