RTÜK fines and journalist arrests prompt action from TGC: 'Threatening the scale of democracy'

The Board of Directors of the Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC) issued a statement criticizing the arrest warrants issued for two journalists within a single week, as well as the fines imposed by RTÜK on Halk TV, Sözcü TV, Tele1 TV, and NOW TV. In the statement, which declared, “The siege on journalists and the media is threatening democracy,” the following views were expressed:

“The worsening problems regarding press freedom and the siege on journalists and the media are threatening democracy. The practice of unjust detentions and arrests of journalists who report on the government's activities that are not in the public interest and on human rights violations continues. RTÜK, meanwhile, continues to punish radio and television stations as the government's censorship apparatus.

Most recently, T24 reporter Can Öztürk was detained and held in handcuffs behind his back for eight hours while covering a protest at Boğaziçi University, despite showing his press card. His press card was destroyed. Our colleague was released under judicial control. Another colleague of ours, Furkan Karabay, who publishes on YouTube, was arrested after being detained on charges of insulting the President and targeting individuals involved in the fight against terrorism. The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposed a 3 percent administrative fine on Halk TV and Sözcü TV for including the information that ‘the vehicle was not allowed into the parking lot’ in their coverage of the attack on CHP Chairman Özgür Özel without verifying it. The decision also stated that the channels did not seek the opinion of the Deputy Chief of Police.

Tele1 was also among the TV channels fined 3 percent by RTÜK. The reason cited was the broadcast of allegations made by Cemil Önal, an employee of Halil Falyalı, who was interviewed by Cypriot journalist Ayşemden Akın, a guest on the program Gazeteciler Masası. RTÜK assessed that the private lives of Hakan Fidan and the children of Binali Yıldırım were violated in the interview.

NOW TV was issued a 3 percent administrative fine on the grounds that it engaged in covert advertising for the Disney+ platform. According to a statement by RTÜK Member Tuncay Keser, who was elected from the CHP quota, RTÜK has issued 35 out of 40 fines in 2025 to these four channels.

All these events reveal once again that press freedom, a constitutional right, is being ignored. Let us not forget that the misuse of the judicial system to pressure and intimidate journalists prevents citizens from accessing news. Journalism with judicial control, imprisonment, and RTÜK fines cannot exist!

As the TGC, we reiterate our call to the government once again. Journalists should be tried without arrest, and our colleagues in prison must be released as soon as possible. #JournalismIsNotACrime. Journalism should not be a reason for imprisonment. RTÜK must stop pressuring media organizations with heavy fines and stop distributing unjust and unlawful penalties.”