Journalist Fatih Altaylı continues to deliver political news and commentary from prison through his YouTube program, reflecting the tightening constraints on press freedom and independent journalism in Turkey, The Associated Press reported.
Altaylı, 63, has been indicted under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code for allegedly threatening President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his YouTube program on June 20.
In his program “Fatih Altaylı Comments,” Altaylı said he was unsurprised by a poll showing more than 70 percent of the public opposed a lifetime presidency for Erdogan, noting that the Turkish people preferred checks on authority and citing examples of Ottoman sultans who were assassinated.
If convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of five years. The first hearing in his trial is scheduled for Friday.
Since his detention, his follow-up program on YouTube, “Fatih Altaylı Cannot Comment,” has attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers. Each episode opens with a shot of his empty chair before his assistant reads his letter from prison. A guest such as a journalist, politician, academic, actor or musician then takes his seat to share their views in a show of solidarity. Altaylı also continues to publish written commentary on his personal website.
A second criminal case was opened against Altaylı on August 5, seeking up to three years in prison on charges of “disseminating misleading information.” Prosecutors argued that his letter which was read on the program posed a risk to national security and public order.
With most mainstream media in Turkey owned by pro-government businesses or directly controlled by the government, many independent journalists have lost their jobs and have turned to YouTube podcasts and social media platforms for uncensored reporting.
Rights advocates say that charges such as “disseminating misleading information” and “threatening the president” have become routine tools for silencing dissenting voices. The Istanbul Bar Association described the detention order as unlawful, arguing that his comment did not amount to a “threat” and should be considered an exercise of the right to freedom of expression.
According to Expression Interrupted, a press freedom monitoring group, 33 journalists are currently behind bars in Turkey. The country’s deteriorating media landscape was further highlighted in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, where the country was ranked 159th out of 180 nations, as published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
