Arrested on allegations of threatening the President: A letter from Fatih Altaylı!

Journalist Fatih Altaylı wrote a letter on his first day in prison after being arrested for "threatening the President" due to his remarks on his YouTube channel. Detailing his experiences from the moment he was detained, the dialogue he had with the police, and the cell he is staying in, Altaylı said, "I suppose some people are finally satisfied. They tried when they were partners with FETÖ but couldn't do it; now they have succeeded."

Altaylı described being detained in his house slippers in his letter as follows:

"I hope it's for a good reason," I said as I opened the door, not expecting anyone. There were four people standing at the door who were clearly police officers. They said very politely, "Mr. Fatih, good evening. There is a detention warrant for you. You need to come with us." I laughed and said, "I was expecting you tomorrow morning." After all, a person who had been appointed as a presidential advisor had been making threats during the day, saying that "my water was heating up." Clearly, something was being cooked up. "Please come in, let me get ready. Let me take a few things," I said. "We cannot enter, and you should not leave here; let your wife prepare things," they said. My wife was with her mother and was not at home. "Hande had gone to Balıkesir to see her mother," I said. I told the police I wanted to call my wife to let her know. I asked for my phone from our assistant, who fortunately had not yet left at that time. The commissioner in charge of the team took the phone, saying, "Mr. Fatih, you cannot make a call. We will also take your phone into custody." I told our assistant, "Let Hande know. The police have taken Mr. Fatih, and she should inform my lawyer," and I left the house among the police officers. I had my loungewear on and my house slippers on my feet.

The letter, which was read by Fatih Altaylı's team on his YouTube channel, is as follows:

"On Saturday, June 21, I was filming weekend programs with Emre all day. At noon, I took a break and held some meetings for F1 to potentially come to Turkey starting in 2026. Then we continued with some filming.

In the meantime, we were watching the attack launched on social media by some trolls who were trying to cut and paste certain expressions we used in the program we broadcast on Friday to give them different meanings. Clearly, they were cooking something up.

I returned home around six in the evening. My daughter, whom I hadn't seen for more than two months, was coming to Istanbul on Sunday evening; I was excited. I went into the kitchen and started making the food she likes and misses. While I was putting the stuffed vine leaves on the stove, the doorbell rang; it must have been close to nine o'clock.

"I hope it's for a good reason," I said as I opened the door, not expecting anyone. There were four people standing at the door who were clearly police officers. They said very politely, "Mr. Fatih, good evening. There is a detention warrant for you. You need to come with us."

I laughed and said, "I was expecting you tomorrow morning." After all, a person who had been appointed as a presidential advisor had been making threats during the day, saying that "my water was heating up." Clearly, something was being cooked up.

"Please come in, let me get ready. Let me take a few things," I said. "We cannot enter, and you should not leave here; let your wife prepare things," they said. My wife was with her mother and was not at home. "Hande had gone to Balıkesir to see her mother," I said. I told the police I wanted to call my wife to let her know. I asked for my phone from our assistant, who fortunately had not yet left at that time. The commissioner in charge of the team took the phone, saying, "Mr. Fatih, you cannot make a call. We will also take your phone into custody."

"I had my loungewear on and my house slippers on my feet..."

I told our assistant, "Let Hande know. The police have taken Mr. Fatih, and she should inform my lawyer," and I left the house among the police officers. I had my loungewear on and my house slippers on my feet.

First, we went to Haseki Hospital. The police officers were extremely polite. A female doctor examined me there and asked if I had any chronic illnesses and what medications I used. She took notes on my answers; she was very graceful and very kind. She said, "Get well soon," and sent me off.

We left and returned to the police vehicle. Then the chief commissioner came and said, "The doctor wants to see you again." I returned to the examination room. She had realized that I hadn't mentioned the medication for one of the conditions I mentioned, and she thought, "I forgot." She wanted to write that down too. "Thank you for your attention. I don't take medication for that; I pay attention to my diet," I said.

We returned to the police vehicle again and set off for the Vatan Police Headquarters. When we arrived at the Istanbul Police Department on Vatan Street with our three-vehicle convoy, the police team, who took great care to ensure no photos were taken, immediately took me up to the Security Branch.

I found myself among a team of mostly young, bright police officers. I didn't yet know the accusation against me, and frankly, I wasn't curious either. Because I was sure I hadn't committed a crime. But from what the trolls wrote, I could more or less guess what I would face.

About half an hour later, when my lawyers Rezzan Aydıoğlu and Ömer Teker arrived, I learned the accusation. I had threatened the President. I had said, "The Turkish people love the ballot box," hadn't I...

Although it was not mandatory, I gave my first statement to the police. Afterwards, we talked a bit about police problems, journalists they had detained before, and social media influencers. All the police officers were like diamonds; there was nothing that made me feel bad in their presence.

"The detention center smelled strongly of drugs, or rather, of weed"

Around 12 o'clock, they took me down to the detention center. Thank goodness they had talked beforehand and found me a single-person detention cell for my safety. I was treated very politely there as well. Perhaps because I went to the detention center late at night, the toilets were dirty. But the source of the smell inside was not the toilets, but the narcotics storage right nearby. The detention center smelled strongly of drugs, or rather, of weed.

Thanks to my detention cell mates who were shouting and swearing, we spent the night without sleeping. But I had no idea about the time. After a while, I asked the officer who came by what time it was. "It's 6:20," he said. Around 8-9, they distributed sandwiches and water; I didn't have the appetite to eat, so I didn't take any.

I sat on the low bed in the detention cell and waited until 11 o'clock. At 11, my new friends from the Security Branch came and picked me up. We went upstairs; we were waiting for the prosecutor. First, we would go to the hospital to get a report again, and from there we would go to Çağlayan.

I underwent a health check again at the relevant unit of Bayrampaşa State Hospital. The team that performed the examination didn't say anything other than what they had to ask, but their looks said a lot.

Later, we entered Çağlayan Courthouse from a place I had never seen or known, and we went seven floors underground. I didn't even know there was such an entrance. We waited in the car downstairs for about an hour. The prosecutor was not ready.

Around 2 o'clock, we appeared before the prosecutor. I gave my statement, but it was actually unnecessary. The trolls had already made the decision. My lawyer, Rezzan Aydıoğlu, learned of the prosecutor's request for arrest not from the prosecutor we were waiting in front of, but from social media trolls.

From there, we went down to the on-duty Criminal Judgeship of Peace. After a short wait, we appeared in court. We gave a statement again. The judge took a break for the decision, but social media was already full of troll news announcing that I had been arrested.

"I was arrested." My wife, who had returned to Istanbul in a rush in the middle of the night, had come, but she was not allowed into the courthouse building or the courtroom. She received the news that I had been arrested from Rezzan.

"My arrest was a legal disgrace"

My arrest was a legal disgrace. But this was not the first time, and it was now a common occurrence for Turkey. While my procedures were continuing at the enforcement prosecutor's office, I was waiting downstairs with the Security Branch police who brought me. I could see that they were also saddened. I hugged one of them. It touched me so much that my eyes filled with tears. "It will pass, brother Fatih, it will pass," he said. I could barely hold myself together.

Then we set off in three cars. Near Bayrampaşa, a young man cut off the Volkswagen driven by the chief commissioner and hit it. When the vehicle was totaled, we continued on our way to Silivri with two vehicles. Another examination at Silivri State Hospital, then Silivri Prison... Officially named the Marmara Penal Execution Institution Campus.

We said goodbye to the police officers. "May you forgive your rights," I said. I entered Silivri. The famous Silivri... Silivri, which used to be famous for its yogurt, is now famous for its prison, and it is clear that every dissenting soul will one day taste this place.

My entry procedures took quite a while. Fingerprints, photos, explaining the rules, searching; quite a bit of time passed. Then I started signing the documents placed in front of me. I also had to write the time on one of them. I asked the correctional officer for the time. "19:15," he said.

It was exactly the time my daughter's plane was landing. Since she was used to me meeting her every time, her eyes would be looking for me, and I wasn't there. I felt terrible.

"I will stay alone for security reasons"

Later, I was taken to my cell, where I don't know how long I will stay. If I called it a cell, that's just the name... It's actually a two-story suite. On the lower floor, there is a metal kitchen counter, a metal kitchen cabinet, a Turkish-style toilet, and a shower next to it; on the upper floor, there are three beds side by side. But I will stay alone for security reasons.

The deputy prison director who welcomed me briefly explained the rules: "One open visit per month, four closed visits, the right to meet with an unlimited number of lawyers for detainees, the right to spend 3,500 at the canteen per week, no cash allowed. The money you will spend is deposited into the prison treasury. You have the right to buy an Arçelik refrigerator and a television, and this is not included in the limit."

As far as the director explained, it had also been recently renovated and painted. They gave me a new bed and new sheets and a duvet cover. However, birds entering through the window left open for ventilation had not only dirtied the courtyard my room looks out onto but also the room itself and had brought in weeds.

The administration gave me some dish soap and a dish sponge. As soon as I was left alone in my room, I started cleaning. First, I wiped the dust and bird droppings off the iron bed and settled into the bed. I put on the sheet and the pillowcase. Then I went to the kitchen; I struggled quite a bit. Even if it wasn't to my complete satisfaction, it was cleaned quite well.

"I will use my first weekly allowance from the canteen for cleaning supplies"

I will use my first weekly allowance from the canteen for cleaning supplies: a bucket, a mop, a broom, a cleaning cloth, etc... When the materials arrive, I will mop the floors nicely because it is full of dust and weeds.

During my first lawyer visit at night, my right and left were like the IMM Assembly. The Mayor of Gaziosmanpaşa was on my right, and the Mayor of Şişli was on my left, meeting with their lawyers.

"I went to bed around 12, but the mosquitoes didn't leave me alone"

I went to bed around 12, but the mosquitoes didn't leave me alone. I committed quite a massacre. I also have five spiders, but I'm not touching them. I hope for a mutually respectful relationship.

I woke up around 6 o'clock to the sound of birds. I am writing these lines while waiting for the 8:30 morning count. My canteen list is ready. The correctional staff are very helpful and very friendly.

I will eat my first prison meal in a little while. I will share my days here with you as much as I can. Everything is for people, and I am experiencing such an experience for the first time. I suppose some people are finally satisfied. They tried when they were partners with FETÖ but couldn't do it; now they have succeeded. My only concern is that I have saddened the people I love.