A Turkish court on Thursday ordered veteran journalist Fatih Altaylı to remain in jail more than 100 days after his arrest on charges of threatening President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the BirGün daily reported.
Appearing in court for the first time since his arrest, Altaylı said his detention stemmed from his concern for Turkey’s future.
“In my 40 years as a journalist, I have never threatened anyone,” he told the panel of judges.
The court referred the case to prosecutors to prepare a final opinion and scheduled the next hearing for November 26. If convicted, Altaylı faces at least five years in prison.
The decision sparked criticism from opposition figures.
Ali Mahir Başarır, a deputy group chair for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said the court’s ruling amounted to “the continuation of lawlessness,” contrasting Altaylı’s extended detention with the speedy release of a man accused of physically attacking CHP leader Özgür Özel. “Is this your rule of law? Is this your idea of justice?” Başarır wrote on X.
Altaylı’s wife, opposition lawmakers, academics and dozens of journalists attended the hearing at Istanbul’s main courthouse.
Altaylı, one of Turkey’s most prominent media figures, was detained on June 21 after a June 20 broadcast in which he commented on a poll showing that 70 percent of Turks opposed allowing President Erdoğan to remain in power for life. Referencing Ottoman history, he said the public had previously deposed or executed sultans they no longer accepted. Prosecutors accused him of “threatening the president” under Article 299 of the penal code, a charge he denies. He was arrested by a court a day after his detention.
A Turkish prosecutor in August opened a separate criminal case against Altaylı, seeking up to three years in prison on charges of “disseminating misleading information” in a YouTube broadcast that authorities claim threatened national security.
Authorities have also blocked access to Altaylı’s YouTube channel, which has 1.65 million subscribers and is one of the most watched news-related platforms in Turkey. Despite his imprisonment, the channel has continued broadcasting, often featuring an empty chair in his place, along with appearances by opposition politicians and fellow journalists.
The case comes amid Turkey’s climate of deteriorating press freedom. Reporters Without Borders ranked the country 159th out of 180 in its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, noting that arrests of journalists for their professional activities remain frequent. Rights advocates say the use of charges such as “misleading information” and “threatening the president” have become routine tools to silence dissenting voices.
