Turkish authorities briefly detained journalist Gülnur Saydam in İstanbul on Wednesday on accusations of spreading disinformation in a report about alleged organized crime activity in one of the city’s fastest-growing districts, Turkish media reported.
Police detained Saydam, a reporter for the Cumhuriyet daily, at her home shortly after her report was published. She was questioned for about four hours before being released.
Saydam wrote in the article that organized criminal groups had expanded their activities into Göktürk, an affluent neighborhood in İstanbul’s Eyüpsultan district. While police officials said security measures in the area had been increased and no unsolved violent crimes had occurred, local residents remained fearful because of violence and extortion threats allegedly linked to criminal groups, she reported.
Following her release, Saydam said on X that she stood by her reporting and would continue to reflect public concerns.
The detention prompted criticism from opposition lawmakers and journalists’ organizations that said it reflected growing pressure on independent journalism in Turkey.
Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Burhanettin Bulut said the arbitrary detention of journalists over reporting disliked by the government constituted a clear violation of both press freedom and the public’s right to access information.
The Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS) warned that journalism could not be practiced under the constant threat of detention and prosecution created by the country’s disinformation law.
The Journalists’ Association of Turkey (TGC) said the unjust detention of journalists was contrary to Turkey’s constitution and the principles of a democratic state governed by the rule of law. “It is unacceptable to portray journalistic activity as a criminal offense,” the association said in a statement.
The Turkish Press Council described the detention as “another blow to the public’s right to receive information,” saying press freedom is an indispensable element of democracy. It urged Turkish authorities to end practices targeting journalists whose only purpose is to inform the public.
Introduced in 2022, Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code, known as the disinformation law, requires prison sentences of one to three years for those found guilty of publicly spreading false information in a way that causes concern, fear or panic among the public.
A recent report by the TGS found that more than 300 journalists have been prosecuted under Turkey’s disinformation law over the past year.
International and local press freedom organizations have long criticized the intensified use of the disinformation law to systematically prosecute journalists, calling for the repeal of the legislation and the immediate release of all journalists held under it.
According to Expression Interrupted, a press freedom monitoring group, 22 journalists are currently behind bars in Turkey. The country’s deteriorating media landscape was further pointed out in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where it was ranked 163rd out of 180 nations.
