Seven journalists, including prominent photojournalists and reporters from national and international outlets, were arrested in Istanbul on March 25 after covering protests that followed the detention of Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The journalists, among them Bülent Kılıç and Yasin Akgül, were charged with violating Law No. 2911 on demonstrations and public gatherings.
Initially released under judicial control measures earlier in the day, the journalists were later referred to the court with a request for arrest and subsequently detained by the 5th and 6th Criminal Judgeships of Peace. The arrests have drawn criticism from press freedom advocates and raised concerns over the treatment of journalists in Turkey.
A total of 11 journalists were detained on March 24—eight in Istanbul and three in the Aegean coastal city of İzmir—while covering or attempting to cover protests sparked by the arrest of Mayor İmamoğlu. Some were detained on the scene, while others were taken from their homes in police raids. Several of the journalists work for well-known national or international media outlets.
While seven of the detained journalists were brought to the Istanbul Courthouse on the morning of March 25, they were initially released with judicial control conditions. However, shortly before their release was finalized, prosecutors reversed course and referred eight journalists to the Criminal Judgeships of Peace with a request for arrest. That same afternoon, seven of them were formally arrested.
The names of the arrested journalists are as follows:
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Bülent Kılıç – Photojournalist
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Kurtuluş Arı – Photojournalist for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality
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Yasin Akgül – Photojournalist for Agence France-Presse (AFP)
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Ali Onur Tosun – Reporter for NOW TV
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Zeynep Kuray – Freelance journalist
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Hayri Tunç – Reporter
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Gökhan Kam – Photojournalist for the Bakırköy Municipality
Four other journalists remain in custody but have not been formally arrested. These include:
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Barış İnce – Columnist for BirGün
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Zişan Gür – Reporter for Sendika.org
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Murat Kocabaş – Photojournalist based in İzmir
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Yağız Barut – Board member of the İzmir Journalists’ Association
As of March 26, processing continues for a journalist still in custody in Istanbul and three others in İzmir.
Turkey has long faced criticism from international human rights groups and the Council of Europe for its treatment of journalists and press freedom. According to watchdog organizations, the country is among the leading jailers of journalists globally. Arrests under Law No. 2911 are frequently used against both protesters and members of the press covering demonstrations.
