A Turkish court on Friday released journalist Barış Terkoğlu under judicial supervision, including a ban on international travel, after he was briefly detained on accusations of “publicly disseminating misleading information” in a video report involving a prosecutor, Turkish media reported.
Terkoğlu was taken into custody following a report aired on the YouTube channel “Onlar” (They) in which he said police conducting raids as part of high-profile drug investigations encountered a prosecutor at the Kütüphane nightclub while carrying out identity and narcotics checks.
After testifying to prosecutors at the İstanbul Courthouse, Terkoğlu was referred to a criminal magistrate of peace, who later ordered his release under judicial supervision.
Speaking after his release Terkoğlu said the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had confirmed the accuracy of his report in its statement and referred the case to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), which has launched an inquiry.
Terkoğlu also said that during questioning, prosecutors focused on identifying his source rather than the substance of the report. His mobile phone was seized as part of the investigation. His lawyer said a formal request had been submitted to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office seeking the return of the seized device without examination.
The case is part of a wider investigation launched in October into alleged drug and prostitution-related offenses. The probe, which initially focused on suspected drug use, has expanded in recent months to include figures from the media sector as well as a prominent sports executive, with several people detained, questioned or released under judicial supervision.
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.
