The Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) reported that law-enforcement authorities detained 20 journalists in October 2026, courts arrested six journalists and placed two under house arrest. Prosecutors conducted investigations into eight journalists and filed cases against three. Courts tried 45 journalists in 24 cases. DFG said 33 journalists were in prison as of 3 November and recorded one raid on a media outlet, one case of ill-treatment of a journalist and obstruction of news coverage in two incidents. Şaban Sevinç and Mustafa Balcı were arrested in the fund investigation; Murat Ağırel and İsmail Saymaz were placed under house arrest. Ağırel was arrested in another investigation on 19 October. İsmail Arı and Hasan Güraksu were also arrested on charges of publicly disseminating misleading information. Courts sentenced Öznur Değer to one year and six months, Osman Akın to 10 months and Doğan Pehlevan to 11 months and 20 days in prison; announcement of the verdicts concerning Akın and Pehlevan was deferred. Courts also blocked access to 231 digital-media items and 22 news reports and issued seven publication bans. Police searched Halk TV’s Istanbul building on 14 October. Authorities appointed a trustee to the channel, halted its broadcasts and blocked access to its social media accounts. RTÜK imposed three-percent administrative fines on Sözcü TV and Koza TV over broadcasts concerning the fund investigation and imposed an additional fine on Sözcü TV over commentary on Ağırel’s arrest. Media organizations dismissed at least 162 journalists. Manşetiz management blocked 12 journalists whose payments had been delayed from accessing the system and then dismissed them for absenteeism. Yeni Şafak, GZT and TVNET dismissed around 100 people, while Sözcü dismissed 50. TELE2 Haber ended broadcasts because it could not afford its license fee, and Cem TV also shut down. Journalists marched for press freedom in 10 provinces on 24 October. DFG called for the release of jailed journalists and the lifting of access blocks.
3 November 2026
Bianet