Journalist Barış Terkoğlu was detained on charges of ‚publicly disseminating misleading information‘, based on comments he made in a news video on Onlar TV and in a newspaper column. Despite the information being later confirmed by the prosecutor’s office, the detention has once again reignited debate over press freedom and the scope of Article 217/a of the Turkish Penal Code. Many journalists, politicians and intellectuals have publicly expressed their support for Terkoğlu.
ISTANBUL, Dec. 25, 2025 — Journalist Barış Terkoğlu, a columnist for the newspaper Cumhuriyet, was detained in Istanbul by gendarmerie units over remarks he made in a news video published on the YouTube channel Onlar TV and in a newspaper column containing similar content. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that an investigation had been launched under Article 217/a of the Turkish Penal Code for “publicly disseminating misleading information,” and that the detention was carried out by the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command in line with prosecutorial instructions.
Attorney Enes Ermaner stated that Terkoğlu was taken to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan to give his statement. According to Terkoğlu, after the interrogation he was referred to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace with a request for judicial control in the form of a travel ban. He was released following his testimony.
Broadcast cited as grounds
The detention was based on Terkoğlu’s comments during a program on Onlar TV concerning drug use in Turkey, drug trafficking, and related law enforcement operations. In the broadcast, Terkoğlu highlighted the recent wave of consecutive operations, saying: “Every morning, waves of detentions, statements, and official announcements shape the public agenda. The question everyone is asking is this: Why do these operations remain limited to users, and why do they not reach the top of the organization?”
Terkoğlu said he posed this question to sources within the Ministry of Interior and received the response: “In fact, they do reach that level, but the media and the public do not discuss it sufficiently.”
According to information shared during the program, a total of 51 tons of narcotics were seized across Turkey over the past two years—23 tons last year and 28 tons this year. It was noted that approximately 49 percent of the seized drugs were confiscated by the Istanbul Police Department, that joint operations were conducted with police forces from five countries, and that significant arrests were made targeting drug networks linked to South America and extending into Europe.
The “Library” allegation
The section that led to Terkoğlu’s detention was an exclusive report he shared at the end of the program. Bringing to the public agenda allegations regarding a private entertainment venue operating in Istanbul’s Etiler district, publicly known as “Kütüphane” (“The Library”), Terkoğlu stated that the venue only admitted select individuals and functioned as a secret entertainment location.
Terkoğlu said that during a drug raid conducted by police teams at the venue, a person who identified himself as a prosecutor refused to be searched, presented his identification, and that the situation was reported to the prosecutor at the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office who was overseeing the operation. According to Terkoğlu, after the information that “there was a prosecutor inside the venue” was conveyed, police teams were forced to leave the premises without conducting a search.
Subsequently, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced in a statement that the allegations were being examined and that the matter had been reported to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK).
Barış Terkoğlu’s first statement: “I did journalism, I did not mislead the public”
Stating that he has been practicing journalism since 2008, Barış Terkoğlu said in his statement given as part of the investigation that the video he shared on Dec. 24, 2025 via the social media platforms X (Twitter) and YouTube belonged to him. Terkoğlu stated that he personally shared the video titled “Police Entered for a Drug Search, Encountered a Prosecutor Inside,” which featured his own narration.
When asked about the sources on which the information conveyed in the video was based, Terkoğlu did not provide a direct answer, emphasizing that this stance stemmed from constitutional guarantees and the provisions of the Press Law. Terkoğlu stated, “Forcing a journalist to disclose information sources would effectively mean the end of journalistic activity,” highlighting that source confidentiality is one of the fundamental pillars of the profession.
Terkoğlu stated that after his post, other news reports regarding the same incident were also published, that he followed these reports on social media, and that there was no contradiction between those reports and his own post. On the contrary, he noted that some of the reports contained more detailed information than what he had conveyed in his video.
In another post that he stated would be submitted to the case file through his lawyers, Terkoğlu recalled that the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had made a statement to a journalist regarding the matter. He said that in this statement, the news report was fully confirmed and that it was stated the issue had been reported to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors, adding that the information presented to the public by the prosecutor’s office was more comprehensive than what he had shared.
Terkoğlu also stated that after sharing the video, he reviewed other news reports circulating on social media and that these contents also confirmed the accuracy of his reporting. He said that he subsequently made another post and that this post could also be included in the case file if deemed appropriate.
At the end of his statement, Terkoğlu emphasized that he did not believe there was any misleading information in the posts attributed to him and argued that his reporting was accurate, legitimate, and conducted within the scope of journalistic activity.
Reactions from journalists and politicians
The detention of Barış Terkoğlu prompted consecutive reactions from journalists and politicians. Journalist Barış Pehlivan, who announced the detention, said: “Shame on you! My friend, journalist Barış Terkoğlu, has been detained. Instead of detaining and investigating corrupt public officials, they want to silence journalists who expose them and work for a clean society. And they do this through a story that the prosecutor’s office itself has confirmed. Cut off one of Barış’s hands; with the other, with his voice, his ideas, he will continue to tell the truth.”
Journalist Timur Soykan said: “Barış Terkoğlu was detained for doing accurate journalism. It has been confirmed that the news was correct, that a prosecutor showed his identification to police officers at the venue, and that the Council of Judges and Prosecutors launched an investigation.”
Halktv.com.tr columnist Ayşenur Arslan commented: “As we enter the new year, the government is showing us what to expect from 2026. Barış Terkoğlu was detained because of documented reporting.”
CHP Deputy Chair Burhanettin Bulut said: “Journalist Barış Terkoğlu was detained due to a news video broadcast on Onlar. Instead of pursuing criminals, journalists who convey the truth to the public are being targeted. This is a clear intervention in press freedom.”
CHP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Murat Emir stated: “Those who fear the light of truth are once again seeking refuge in darkness. Journalist Barış Terkoğlu was detained simply for reporting the truth. We stand with Terkoğlu against those who criminalize journalism.”
TİP Chairman Erkan Baş said: “We will not believe that this government, which has inflicted barons, mafias and gangs upon this country, is now acting sincerely to clean things up. If they were sincere, they would give Terkoğlu a plaque for exposing corruption in the bureaucracy; instead, they detained him. Journalist Barış Terkoğlu must be released immediately.”
CHP Deputy Chair responsible for Legal Policies Gökçe Gökçen said: “Barış Terkoğlu is in custody for doing journalism. Journalism is not a crime.”
CHP Malatya MP Veli Ağbaba stated: “If journalists are detained for reporting the news, what exists is not justice but a regime of fear. Barış Terkoğlu must be released immediately.”
CHP Ordu MP Seyit Torun said: “You cannot silence journalists who write the truth. Detaining Barış Terkoğlu is a sign of panic in a corrupt system.”
CHP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Ali Mahir Başarır shared the message: “You cannot silence journalists who write the truth. We will not remain silent.”
Journalist Sedef Kabaş said: “Press freedom is not the freedom of a journalist alone, but the freedom of society. If a journalist is detained, it is actually the public that is being silenced.”
Journalist Bahadır Özgür said: “Is there any clearer proof of who will not be touched in these operations? Release Barış immediately.”
Journalist Mustafa Kemal Erdemol said: “Putting the person who exposes the crime behind bars instead of the criminal defies reason. Of course I stand with Barış.”
Journalist Hilmi Hacaloğlu said: “The report Barış Terkoğlu produced was confirmed by today’s official statement. We stand with Barış.”
Documentarian Nebil Özgentürk said: “Journalism cannot be silenced. Barış Terkoğlu is a traveler on the path of journalism.”
Journalist Tuncay Mollaveisoğlu stated: “Despite the prosecutor’s office confirming the accuracy of the news, a detention was carried out. In Turkey, intimidation of society through journalists has become routine. Do not get used to it. Do not normalize it.”
Legal assessment
The detention of Barış Terkoğlu has sparked serious legal debate, particularly regarding the application of Article 217/a of the Turkish Penal Code to journalistic activities. According to legal experts, the sharing of information that concerns the public and was later confirmed by the prosecutor’s office should be evaluated within the scope of press freedom guaranteed under Article 28 of the Constitution.
The case law of the European Court of Human Rights also emphasizes that journalists must be allowed to produce harsh, disturbing, or power-challenging reporting on matters of public interest as a requirement of a democratic society. In this context, the view has emerged that Terkoğlu’s detention does not comply with the principles of proportionality, necessity, and restraint.
The detention process of Barış Terkoğlu is being regarded as a critical example for the boundaries of journalism, the influence of the judiciary over the press, and the future of freedom of expression in Turkey. (Türkische Allgemeine, 25.12.2025)
