European Parliament Turkey rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor on Wednesday condemned Turkey for sentencing journalist Fatih Altaylı to over four years in prison, with press groups calling the case another severe blow to media freedom and urging his release.
Nacho Sanchez Amor reacted to the verdict on X, saying the sentence was “totally absurd” and an example of efforts to silence critics.
Altaylı was handed down the sentence for remarks he made on his YouTube channel, which has 1.7 million subscribers. He was arrested in June after discussing a poll showing that 70 percent of respondents opposed making Recep Tayyip Erdoğan president for life.
Altaylı commented on the survey, saying the result was not surprising. He argued in the broadcast that support for such a proposal exists mainly among backers of Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and voters from its far-right nationalist ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
Erdoğan served as prime minister from 2003 to 2014 before becoming president. He cannot seek a fourth term under the current constitution when his mandate ends in 2028, although he could pursue early elections or a constitutional amendment to prolong his time in office.
Altaylı then referenced past Ottoman rulers, saying several were killed or removed when they lost public support. The prosecution cited this section of the broadcast as grounds for the charge of threatening the president.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on Thursday called the judgment an alarming step in the decline of media freedom. “The sentencing of Fatih Altaylı, a prominent well respected journalist in Türkiye, represents yet another alarming step in the ongoing erosion of press freedom in the country. Journalists must be able to report, question and hold those in power to account without fear of retaliation. When the justice system is used to silence critical voices, it is ultimately the public that loses its right to be informed. We call for the immediate release of Fatih Altaylı and all journalists in jail,” the group said.
Altaylı was taken into custody on June 21 and was kept in pretrial detention. At his first hearing on October 3 he denied intending to threaten the president, stating he was drawing on historical context.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also condemned the ruling and called for Altaylı’s release. Erol Önderoğlu, the organization’s representative in Turkey, said the heavy sentence imposed on Altaylı over statements taken out of context sends an intimidating, antidemocratic and unacceptable message.
RSF says Turkey has detained 20 journalists this year for work-related activities. The country ranks 159th out of 180 in the group’s global press freedom index. Media outlets in Turkey often face sanctions, temporary broadcast bans or fines for their reporting.
