Turkish prosecutors have indicted Kurdish journalist Mehmet Murat Yıldırım on terrorism propaganda charges over his reporting and social media posts, the Siyasi Haber news website reported.
The Aydın Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office accused Yıldırım of “disseminating the propaganda of a terrorist organization,” referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), based on his news articles, interviews and social media posts. Evidence cited in the indictment includes his coverage of Newroz celebrations, the Kurdish spring festival, held in Switzerland in 2024, as well as reporting on political developments related to the Kurdish issue and the prison conditions of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
The Kurdish issue, a term prevalent in Turkey’s public discourse, refers to the demand for equal rights by the country’s Kurdish population and their struggle for recognition. The PKK has waged an armed insurgency since 1984 and is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
The Aydın 2nd High Criminal Court has accepted the indictment, with the first hearing scheduled for April 9. However, having sought asylum in Switzerland in 2023, Yıldırım is expected to be tried in absentia. He also faces two outstanding arrest warrants on similar charges, issued by courts in Kuşadası in July 2023 and Aydın in September 2024, which cannot be enforced.
In October 2025, prosecutors in Kuşadası launched a separate investigation into Yıldırım on accusations of “insulting the president,” based on a May 2025 article in which he criticized the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) 23 years in power, citing corruption, social repression and policies toward the Kurdish population.
In Turkey, journalists critical of the government or allied political parties have faced increasing scrutiny under laws criminalizing “disinformation,” “insulting public officials” and “terrorist propaganda.” Dozens of reporters remain in prison, and many more are the subjects of ongoing investigations.
According to Expression Interrupted, a press freedom monitoring group, 28 journalists are currently behind bars in Turkey. The country’s deteriorating media landscape was further pointed out in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where it was ranked 159th out of 180 nations.
