Turkey’s Arrest of Journalist for Reporting on Prosecutors Draws International Criticism

Istanbul, November 10, 2024 — Turkish journalist Furkan Karabay was arrested on Saturday after sharing the names of prosecutors involved in an investigation into an opposition mayor. Karabay, a reporter for 10Haber, was detained after posting about the prosecutors on social media.

The investigation is related to Ahmet Ozer, the mayor of Esenyurt in Istanbul, who was arrested for alleged links to the banned PKK group. The court said Karabay’s posts “targeted public officials” in the anti-terrorism effort.

Karabay denied the charges, arguing the prosecutors’ names were already publicly known. His lawyer called the arrest unlawful and a violation of press freedom.

The arrest has drawn criticism from press freedom groups, with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemning the detention. RSF ranks Turkey 158th out of 180 countries in its press freedom index.