Turkish prosecutors have indicted journalist İsmail Arı on accusations of “creating the perception of involvement in corruption” following a complaint by Rahmi Göktaş, who is married to Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Göktaş, Turkish media reported.
The case is linked to Arı’s October 5 report in the Birgün daily on alleged corruption at the Yunus Emre Foundation, a state-run cultural institution where Rahmi Göktaş previously served as deputy chairman before resigning after the scandal became public.
In his article Arı questioned why prosecutors had not sought statements from Rahmi Göktaş and Kutalmış Yalçın, another former deputy chairman who also resigned, despite their signatures appearing on documents related to the alleged irregularities.
Arı said his report was based on official documents signed by Rahmi Göktaş but that he, rather than the signatory, will now stand trial. He called the case a “badge of honor.”
The investigation focuses on allegations that the Yunus Emre Foundation paid out millions of Turkish lira through fictitious purchases and fake invoices from several companies. Following a police operation on January 2, prosecutors drafted indictments for 23 suspects detained in the probe.
Arı was also indicted on charges of “insult,” “defamation” and “public dissemination of misleading information” in a related August 30 article, in which he questioned why no investigation had been launched into payments made by Turkey’s broadcast regulator, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), to the same companies.
According to Expression Interrupted, a press freedom monitoring group, 29 journalists are currently behind bars in Turkey. The country’s deteriorating media landscape was also highlighted in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which ranked Turkey 159th out of 180 nations.
