Öztürk, a reporter for Turkish news outlet T24, had earlier been investigated over his reports about Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akın and received a non-prosecution decision in that file. He has now given a statement, accompanied by lawyers from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), as part of a new investigation launched on allegations of “unlawfully obtaining personal data.”
Represented by MLSA, Öztürk gave his statement today at the Istanbul Police Department alongside lawyer Didare Hazal Sümeli. In his statement, Öztürk said he produced the reports as part of journalistic activity and with regard to public interest.
Öztürk said he has been working as a reporter at T24 since August 2024, that he does not personally know Ahmet Akın, and that he wrote the report based on information obtained from a source in March 2025. Emphasizing that disclosing his source would be incompatible with journalistic principles, he said he could not provide information about the source.
He stated that he wrote a total of six reports about Akın, used only visuals available in open sources, and that the content was already publicly accessible. He also recalled that he had previously given a statement at the Istanbul Police Department regarding the same issue and that a decision of non-prosecution had been issued in that investigation.
Öztürk said he did not share any data with the university and noted that he had received awards from the Turkish Journalists’ Association and the Contemporary Journalists’ Association for his reporting. Rejecting the accusation of “unlawfully obtaining and disseminating personal data,” Öztürk reiterated that he was carrying out journalistic activity and requested a decision of non-prosecution.
His lawyer, Didare Hazal Sümeli from the MLSA legal unit, said her client holds national and international press cards and continues his journalistic work. She stated that the report was produced in the public interest following allegations of victimization and argued that the elements of the alleged crime were not met, requesting a decision of non-prosecution.
What happened
An investigation had been launched against T24 reporter Can Öztürk, who is represented by MLSA, on charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “defamation” following a complaint by Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akın over a March 4, 2025 report titled: “Allegations of harassment and abuse in a ‘conversion session’; children accuse, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Akın denies: These children are derailed!”
The report said that Akın conducted sessions described as “repair/conversion therapy” with children identifying as LGBTQ+, and that children who attended these sessions made allegations of harassment. The report also included Akın’s responses to the allegations.
In the investigation launched following Akın’s complaint dated March 7, 2025, it was claimed that the allegations were unfounded and action was requested against those who produced the report. However, at the end of the investigation, a decision of non-prosecution was issued for Öztürk.
During the same period, Istanbul Medeniyet University also launched an administrative investigation into Akın and announced that he had been suspended from his position.
