A Turkish court has handed down a suspended sentence of one year, six months to journalist Mahmut Altıntaş on conviction of “spreading terrorist propaganda” in his social media posts, the Media and Law Studies association reported.
Altıntaş, a reporter for Ajansa Welat, a new agency that focuses on the issues of Kurds in Turkey, was prosecuted over posts he shared while working for the Mezopotamya News Agency.
Authorities have not publicly revealed which group he was accused of promoting. However, in similar cases, Turkish authorities have often accused Kurdish journalists and activists of spreading propaganda for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
The specific social media posts that led to his conviction have not been disclosed, but cases similar to Altıntaş’s have involved journalists sharing reports or commentary on the Kurdish issue, a term prevalent in Turkey’s public discourse that refers to the demand for equal rights by the country’s Kurdish population and their struggle for recognition.
He appeared before the Adıyaman 2nd High Criminal Court via SEGBİS, a judicial video conferencing system, from the Cizre Courthouse, while his lawyers were present in the courtroom.
During his defense Altıntaş argued that his journalistic work was being criminalized, calling the charges a violation of press freedom. His legal team maintained that the seized electronics — his computer and phone — contained only journalistic content.
Attorney Dilan Güler emphasized that Altıntaş was prosecuted solely for his reporting, saying that the indictment lacked evidence of criminal intent. Another defense lawyer, Zelal Demiray, argued that his social media posts should be evaluated under freedom of expression rather than as propaganda.
His legal team has announced plans to appeal the ruling.
Altıntaş has faced legal action before. On January 27, 2024, he was detained in the southeastern province of Adıyaman while covering a news story. He alleged that he was beaten by police during the detention. After his release, he attempted to file a complaint against the officers involved but was detained again at the police station on charges of “resisting law enforcement.”
On February 21, 2024, he was convicted of “obstructing police duties” and sentenced to five months in prison.
Turkish authorities have frequently used terrorism-related charges to prosecute journalists, activists and opposition figures. Press freedom groups have criticized the broad interpretation of counterterrorism laws, arguing that they are often used to silence dissent and stifle independent journalism.
Turkey is one of the world’s biggest jailers of professional journalists and was ranked 158th among 180 countries in terms of press freedom in 2024, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
