İsmail Arı, a reporter for the daily BirGün was arrested yesterday for "publicly disseminating misleading information" in an investigation concerning his journalistic work.
Arı was taken into custody a day earlier while visiting his wife’s family during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in the province of Tokat.
Following his detention, Arı was transferred to Ankara, where the investigation is centered. Prosecutors directly referred him to a judgeship without questioning him, and the judge ruled to place him in pre-trial detention.
In a message relayed through his lawyers, Arı said, “They’ve been looking for an excuse to arrest me for over a year. My only crime is practicing journalism in this country. Journalism is not a crime.”
Arı is widely recognized for his investigative reporting, particularly his coverage of issues related to corruption and abuse of power.
According to BirGün, the report that led to Arı’s arrest revealed that authorities had decided to relocate protected cultural assets in order to construct a dormitory building for a İstanbul high school attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Protests in İstanbul and Ankara
The arrest triggered protests by journalists and press freedom groups. In İstanbul’s Beyoğlu district, dozens gathered in Tünel Square yesterday.
Protesters chanted slogans including “İsmail Arı is not alone,” “Free press cannot be silenced,” and “BirGün is the people, it cannot be silenced.”
Speaking during the demonstration, BirGün’s Publishing Coordinator Semra Kardeşoğlu said, “When we first met İsmail, we reminded him the 67 journalists who have been killed in this country, those who have spent years behind bars, those who continue to stand tall in the face of all forms of repression.
“He could have chosen a more comfortable path, asking pre-approved questions in a heated press room. But he didn’t. He chose to pursue real journalism with BirGün, in a country where doing so can lead to imprisonment or worse.”
BirGün columnist Timur Soykan asserted that Arı was targeted for exposing corruption, saying, “We all know why İsmail Arı was detained. There are those involved in corruption, criminal networks, and looters of public resources on one side, and İsmail Arı on the other. He reports on their misconduct, and that’s why they fear him.”
Journalist Hilmi Hacaloğlu also addressed the crowd, describing Arı as a persistent and impactful reporter. “His reporting caused discomfort in certain circles. This is turning into a ‘Chronicle of a Death Foretold’-style scenario. Everyone knows he is a journalist chasing the truth and working in the public interest. We demand his immediate release.”
In Ankara, a parallel demonstration was held on Yüksel Street, also drawing participation from journalists, civil society groups, and opposition politicians.
Özgür Özel, head of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), criticized the arrest in a social media post.
“Journalism cannot be criminalized simply because someone finds it inconvenient,” Özel wrote. “Trying to manufacture a crime from a video three months old and detaining a journalist during a family visit on a holiday is an example of hostile lawfare. İsmail Arı is not alone. Journalism is not a crime.” (HA/VK)
