The law on publicly spreading misleading information (TCK 217/A), passed by parliament in 2022 with assurances it would not be used against journalists, has become an increasingly frequent tool in investigations and lawsuits against members of the press.
Since Oct 2022, when the article known publicly as the disinformation law was enacted, 83 journalists have faced investigations, been detained, arrested, or tried under this allegation.
According to a report by data journalism outlet Veriler Ne Diyor, these 83 journalists were accused of publicly spreading misleading information 114 times over the past three and a half years.
Within the scope of this allegation, 54 investigations were launched and 39 lawsuits were filed against journalists. Detentions were carried out 11 times, while 10 arrests were made based on this charge.
'Journalists have been targeted with the Disinformation Law'
A convenient punishment: Judicial control
Of the 54 investigations launched, 41 resulted in decisions of non-prosecution. While five investigations remain ongoing, judicial control measures in the form of a signature requirement and a ban on traveling abroad were applied to a journalist in one investigation. Information regarding the status of seven investigations could not be obtained.
The situation in the 39 lawsuits:
- Judicial control sanctions stood out in the 11 detention procedures against journalists:
- Judicial control in the form of a ban on traveling abroad for 4 journalists,
- Judicial control in the form of both a signature requirement at the police station and a ban on traveling abroad for 3 journalists,
- Judicial control in the form of house arrest and a ban on traveling abroad for 1 journalist,
- Judicial control in the form of reading two books on the limits of press freedom and writing a summary for 1 journalist.
- 2 journalists were released without sanctions.
- Half of the 10 arrests resulted in release:
Three journalists sentenced to prison
Since the disinformation law came into effect, three journalists have been sentenced to prison on charges of publicly spreading misleading information.
Although it was later overturned on appeal, the first of these sentences was given to journalist Sinan Aygül in Feb 2023.
BIA Media Monitoring Reports
In a post on Dec 13, 2022, Aygül wrote that a child had been abused by a police officer and a specialized sergeant in Tatvan, Bitlis. Aygül, who was arrested following this, was released on Dec 22, 2022, but was sentenced to 10 months in prison on Feb 28, 2023.
His appeal to the Van Regional Court of Justice was rejected on May 26, 2023, after which Aygül took the case to the Court of Cassation. The 8th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation unanimously overturned the appellate court's verdict. Aygül was acquitted in the subsequent retrial.
The second journalist sentenced to prison under this charge was Yüsra Batıhan from the Mezopotamya Agency (MA).
Türkiye's new 'disinformation law' explained
Reporting on the Feb 6 earthquake from debris sites, Batıhan made two posts on her X account alleging that AFAD was obstructing the press and seizing aid. Batıhan was sentenced to 10 months in prison in the lawsuit filed over these posts.
The third journalist is Sedef Kabaş. Kabaş was sentenced to 10 months in prison on Nov 4, 2025, for a post on Feb 8, 2024, stating: "Central Bank Governor Fatih Karahan: ‘We can expect a 150-200% hike in electricity and natural gas after the election.’ Now that you’ve given the authority, you see the impact..."
Journalist Feyza Nur Çalıkoğlu faces 'disinformation' case over report on alleged abuse at deportation centers
Accused journalists by year
Two of the three most accused journalists are currently in prison
Some journalists have been targeted by this allegation multiple times. İsmail Arı from BirGün newspaper had been accused of publicly spreading misleading information five times in total, including four investigations and one lawsuit, until the evening of Mar 21.
Arı, whose investigations resulted in non-prosecution and whose lawsuit ended in acquittal, faced this allegation for a sixth time on the evening of Mar 21. Arı, the journalist most frequently targeted by the charge of publicly spreading misleading information, was arrested on Mar 22.
Arı was followed by Kayhan Ayhan from BirGün newspaper and Alican Uludağ from Deutsche Welle (DW) Turkish, each with four investigations. Three of Ayhan's investigations resulted in non-prosecution, while one is ongoing. Two investigations and two lawsuits remain ongoing against Uludağ, who is currently arrested on the charge of publicly insulting the president.
Journalists face disinformation probe after gold smuggling allegations against MPs
Oktay Candemir, Ruşen Takva, and Timur Soykan were targeted three times; while Aslıhan Gençay, Barış Pehlivan, Dinçer Gökçe, Evren Demirdaş, Fatih Altaylı, Furkan Karabay, Fırat Bulut, Gökhan Özbek, Medine Mamedoğlu, Mehmet Yetim, Sebahattin Yum, Seyhan Avşar, Zübeyde Sarı, and İsmail Saymaz were targeted twice.
Other names who faced investigations, trials, detentions, or arrests under this charge include Ahmet Sesli, Evrim Kepenek, Gökhan Özbek, Hasan Sivri, İlknur Bilir, Medine Mamedoğlu, Mehmet Yetim, Mir Ali Koçer, Ercan Küçük, Bilal Özcan, and Latif Sansür. (HA/VK)
