Reactions in Turkey to the detention of a journalist from the opposition newspaper BirGün

Turkish authorities have charged journalist İsmail Arı, who works for the opposition newspaper BirGün, with “spreading misleading information,” prompting strong reactions from press freedom advocates and journalism organizations.

Arı was arrested on Saturday in Tokat province, northern Turkey, where he had been traveling to celebrate the Eid al‑Fitr holiday. He was transferred to Ankara on Sunday for questioning and subsequently placed in pre‑trial detention. According to his newspaper, prosecutors requested his detention without even taking a statement from him, fueling criticism from both colleagues and press rights groups.

In a statement released by his defense, Arı said the arrest was linked to a video published three months earlier. “I was arrested because of a video that was made public three months ago,” he explained, adding that authorities had been seeking a pretext to detain him for over a year.

Support for Arı has been widespread. At a solidarity rally in Ankara, BirGün editor Yasar Aydin declared: “We will not be silenced — we will continue to write, speak, and express ourselves.” The Turkish Journalists’ Union also condemned the arrest, emphasizing that “journalism is not a crime” and calling for Arı’s immediate release.

The arrest highlights ongoing concerns about press freedom in Turkey. Authorities have increasingly used laws against “spreading misleading information” to pursue journalists and critics, raising alarm among domestic and international observers. Turkey currently ranks near the bottom of global press freedom indexes, reflecting a challenging environment for independent journalism.

This incident follows a similar case in February, when a journalist for Germany’s Deutsche Welle was arrested on charges of “insulting the president,” drawing protests from the German government and media organizations. The repeated targeting of journalists underscores growing pressures on the press in Turkey and the risks faced by those reporting on politically sensitive issues.