Journalist Ahmet Erkan Yiğitsözlü was briefly detained on Sunday over a post on X, marking the 14th time he has been taken into custody, the Bold Medya news website reported.
Yiğitsözlü’s detention was reportedly triggered by a tweet criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks about the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) willingness to endure hardships. In his post, Yiğitsözlü alleged that members of the AKP were more focused on “corruption and profiting” than personal sacrifice.
Yiğitsözlü, an editor for KHK TV, a media outlet that covers the stories of individuals who were dismissed from their jobs by government decrees in the aftermath of a coup attempt in 2016, announced his detention in a video on X, calling on the public to share his message, expressing concern about his treatment.
“Three officers from the security branch are at my door. I am being detained for the 14th time,” Yiğitsözlü said. “I recently underwent surgery and am resting at home. If they had called, I would have gone to testify voluntarily.”
Yiğitsözlü was later released, his lawyer confirmed.
Two years ago Yiğitsözlü was accused of having links to the faith-based Gülen movement. His latest court hearing was held on October 15, 2024, at the Osmaniye 2nd High Criminal Court. Yiğitsözlü and his lawyer, Günal Kurşun, denied the accusations and requested his acquittal. The court, however, sentenced him to more than six years in prison.
Following the verdict Yiğitsözlü appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Appeals. His case remains under judicial review, and he continues to await the court’s ruling.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, inspired by the late Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, since corruption investigations in 2013 that implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan, his family members and his inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdoğan designated the movement as a terrorist organization and began targeting its members. He intensified the crackdown on the movement following an abortive putsch in 2016 that he accused Gülen of masterminding. Gülen and the movement strongly deny involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
