Turkish authorities on Sunday arrested a reporter for allegedly spreading false information, sparking small demonstrations by journalists and civil society groups in İstanbul and Ankara.

İsmail Ari, a reporter for the Turkish daily BirGün, was initially detained on Saturday in Türkiye’s north-central Tokat province before being transferred to the capital, Ankara, where he is currently awaiting trial.

Known for his reporting on alleged official corruption, he was charged by Ankara’s chief public prosecutor with “publicly disseminating information with the aim of misleading the public”.

Ari, for his part, denies the charges. In a message relayed through his legal team, he claimed the authorities were “looking for an excuse” to arrest him, adding that his “only crime is practising journalism”.

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According to BirGün, the report that led to Ari’s arrest alleged that local authorities in İstanbul were planning to relocate protected cultural sites in order to build a secondary school dormitory.

Demonstrations

Ari’s arrest on Sunday prompted limited demonstrations in İstanbul and Ankara, where journalists and civil society figures expressed solidarity with the detained reporter.

In İstanbul’s Beyoğlu district, dozens of supporters chanted slogans and called for Ari’s release from pre-trial detention.

Addressing the crowd, journalist Hilmi Hacaloğlu said Ari’s reporting had “caused discomfort in certain circles”, adding: “We demand his immediate release.”

A similar demonstration in Ankara drew several opposition figures.

In a social media post, Özgür Özel, head of the Republican People’s Party - Türkiye’s main opposition party - criticised Ari’s arrest.

“Journalism cannot be criminalised simply because someone does not like it,” he wrote, describing the arrest as “another example of hostile lawfare”.

In a statement, the Turkish Journalists’ Union also called for Ari’s release, saying reporters were often “subject to investigations - which are themselves a form of punishment - for simply doing their jobs.”

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Türkiye News Journalism BirGün Ankara Protests