International press freedom organizations have condemned the arrest of prominent Turkish journalist Fatih Altaylı and called for his immediate release, following his detention over political commentary made during a YouTube live broadcast.
Altaylı, a veteran columnist and journalist, was taken into custody and arrested on June 21, 2025, just hours after a segment of his YouTube broadcast circulated widely on social media. In the video, Altaylı responded to a public opinion poll indicating that 70 percent of Turkish citizens would oppose any proposal allowing the country’s president to remain in office indefinitely. His remarks, while critical, did not include any explicit threats.
Following the video’s viral spread, several social media accounts posted edited clips that misrepresented Altaylı’s comments as threatening. Soon after, Oktay Saral, a senior advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, publicly targeted Altaylı, posting on social media that the journalist was “in hot water already.” Within ten hours, Altaylı was detained by authorities.
Initially, he was held under suspicion of making a criminal threat—a charge typically applied to threats against individuals and punishable by up to two years in prison. Under Turkish law, such offenses do not usually warrant pretrial detention. However, prosecutors later escalated the case by invoking a provision that applies harsher penalties when the president is the victim of an offense, allowing for a minimum sentence of five years and enabling pretrial detention.
Legal experts have criticized the move, arguing that the provision in question applies only to physical acts and not to political commentary or press statements. They warn that its use in this case marks a troubling expansion of criminal law against free speech.
The Istanbul 10th Criminal Judgeship of Peace approved the prosecutor’s request to jail Altaylı pending trial, citing the “severity of the offense” and a supposed “risk of flight.”
Two days after the arrest, on June 23, Turkey’s broadcast regulator, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), issued a warning to Altaylı’s YouTube channel, stating that it must apply for an internet broadcasting license within 72 hours. RTÜK demanded the submission of documents and advance payment of a three-month licensing fee, threatening closure if the requirements are not met.
The arrest has sparked condemnation from international and domestic press freedom and free expression organizations, including the International Press Institute (IPI), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
In a joint statement, the undersigned groups described the arrest as a “clear abuse of criminal law to silence critical political commentary.” They warned that interpreting Altaylı’s remarks as incitement to assassination represents “a dangerous expansion of criminal liability” that threatens to deepen the erosion of freedom of expression in Türkiye.
The organizations called for Altaylı’s immediate release and urged Turkish authorities to end the use of vague or overly broad legal provisions to prosecute journalists. “A free press must include the right to freedom of expression and critique political leaders without fear of reprisal,” the statement said.
Full statement can be found here:
The statement was signed by the following organizations:
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International Press Institute (IPI)
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ARTICLE 19 Europe
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Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
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European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
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European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
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Foreign Media Association (FMA Turkey)
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Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA)
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Progressive Journalists Association (PJA)
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Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
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South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)
