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- The week's most serious fair trial violation occurred in the case of journalist Yıldız Tar. Tar was unable to attend the hearing in his own trial because he was being held in police custody.
- Two journalists were arrested on the same day this week. Along with Tar, Evrensel reporter Doğa Baskan was arrested over a news report that had been submitted to the newspaper as a draft but was mistakenly published and removed shortly afterward.
- Ahead of the NATO Summit, accreditation requests from numerous media organizations to cover the summit were rejected without explanation.
Kaos GL Editor-in-Chief, journalist Yıldız Tar, was detained along with 209 others during police raids on homes in Ankara, Turkey's capital, on the morning of June 23, ahead of the NATO Summit. Because he remained in police custody, Tar was unable to attend the June 24 hearing in the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) case before the Ankara 17th High Criminal Court. He is standing trial alongside author İbrahim Halit Elçi on charges of membership in an armed terrorist organization.
At the hearing, the court rejected a request to lift the judicial control measures imposed on Tar. Observers were barred from entering the courtroom because of its limited capacity, and the hearing began late due to the court's workload. The court adjourned the case until Nov. 24, 2026, referring the file to the prosecutor's office for preparation of the opinion on the merits.
On June 25, Tar was arrested as part of the NATO-related operation and sent to prison. (Click here to see all)
Journalist Furkan Karabay and Faruk Eren, who was managing editor of the news website Gerçek Gündem at the time, were acquitted after the case against them was dismissed following the final hearing on June 23 before the Ankara 54th Criminal Court of First Instance. The pair had been charged with insulting a public official in a case filed after a complaint by Constitutional Court Justice İrfan Fidan, with a four-year-old news report cited as evidence. (Click here to see all)
The trial of academic Aslı Aydemir, who is charged with resisting a public official to prevent the performance of official duties after protesting an attack on the Beyoğlu office of the satirical magazine LeMan, was held on June 23 before the Istanbul 8th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Because the presiding judge was on medical leave, the case was opened and closed by the court clerk without a substantive hearing. The court adjourned the proceedings until Nov. 25, 2026, pending the submission of an expert report.
Other developments this week
MLSA's Legal Unit filed an appeal against the 6-year, 3-month prison sentence imposed on human rights defender Nurcan Kaya. The appeal argues that the conviction was based on records that had been destroyed and on a 100 Turkish lira (about $3) donation. (Click here to see all)
MLSA's Legal Unit also filed an appeal against the 1-year, 3-month prison sentence imposed on journalist Erdoğan Alayumat, as well as the court's decision to suspend the announcement of the verdict. The appeal argues that the conviction was based on an unsigned news report. (Click here to see all)
The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, responding to MLSA's Rule 9.2 communication concerning the detention of journalists and violations of freedom of expression, called on Turkey to ensure that arrests are supported by concrete evidence. (Click here to see all)
As part of the NATO Summit, accreditation requests from İlke TV, Cumhuriyet, Medyascope, NOW TV, and numerous independent journalists were rejected without explanation. In comments to AFP, MLSA Co-Director Veysel Ok said independent media outlets in Turkey have faced detentions, prosecutions and accreditation barriers for years, and called on NATO to publicly address the issue.
Evrensel reporter Doğa Baskan was arrested on June 25 on charges of publicly disseminating misleading information over a news report that had been removed from the newspaper's website.
An arrest warrant was issued for journalist Ali Çağatay on June 25 as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
By a decision dated June 12, 2026, the Istanbul 5th Criminal Judgeship of Peace blocked access from Turkey to numerous LGBTQ+ dating apps and social networking platforms, including HeeSay, Taimi, SCRUFF, Jack'd, Surge, ROMEO, BEARWWW, Shuggr, and Daddyhunt.
