Bianet Responsible Managing Editor Vecih Cuzdan gave a statement at the Istanbul Maltepe District Police Department on 5 November over a report dated 18 May 2026 concerning the arrest of journalist Yelis Ayaz. The Aydın Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation on charges of publicly disseminating misleading information and disturbing the peace and tranquility of persons following a complaint by AKP Aydın MP Seda Sarıbaş. Bianet said Editor-in-Chief Murat İnceoğlu would also be summoned to give a statement. Cuzdan denied the allegations and said the report concerned Ayaz’s arrest and reactions from press organizations. He said the report presented as an allegation the claim that an MP’s son had brought a gun to school and also included a statement by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office denying the allegations. His lawyer Deniz Yazgan emphasized that the allegations were not presented as verified facts and that the publication aimed to inform the public. Referring to the four-month period for filing a case under the Press Law, Yazgan requested that the date of the complaint be established. Cuzdan and Yazgan asked for a decision not to prosecute.
5 November 2026
Bianet