Turkish Journalists Convicted Under Controversial Disinformation Law

In a significant blow to press freedom in Turkey, an Istanbul court has sentenced veteran journalist Zafer Arapkırlı to two years and six months in prison under the country’s controversial 2022 media law that criminalizes “spreading misleading information.” The verdict, reported Tuesday by journalists and human rights organizations, has sparked renewed concerns about media repression in the country.

Arapkırlı, a columnist for the opposition daily BirGun, was convicted for comments he made on Twitter (now X) regarding internal conflicts in Syria. His posts discussed violence between supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad and forces of the new Syrian government in predominantly Alevi villages. The case is particularly sensitive given Turkey’s support for the rebel offensive that ousted Assad and its close ties with Syria’s new leadership under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

During the court proceedings, Arapkırlı firmly rejected the charges against him. “Here, in the presence of the prosecutor, I wish to report a more serious crime: the collective plunging of society into deep darkness,” he declared, according to the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA). The court did acquit him on a separate charge of inciting hatred and hostility.

In a related case heard by the same court, journalist Şule Aydin was acquitted, but three of her colleagues from the opposition channel Halk TV were convicted for comments made during a 2024 television program discussing alleged Turkish trade with Israel. Timur Soykan received a 10-month prison sentence for “breach of confidentiality,” while Murat Agirel and Barish Pehlivan each received one year and three months for “public dissemination of misleading information.”

Speaking to AFP after the verdict, Arapkırlı confirmed his intention to appeal, though he noted that sentences under three years are rarely enforced in Turkey. However, such convictions typically require ongoing court appearances that can impose significant financial burdens on journalists. “The authorities are trying to create obstacles and restrict our work, but our resistance will continue regardless,” he stated, characterizing the situation as “an attempt to tie our hands and intimidate us—a form of repression.”

These convictions stem from legislation passed in 2022 under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which critics have dubbed the “censorship law.” The controversial measure criminalizes the spread of “misleading” information with penalties of up to three years in prison and extends media regulations to online publications and social media platforms. When the law was introduced, the United Nations urged Ankara to uphold freedom of expression, warning that the vague language of the legislation created significant potential for abuse.

Arapkırlı expressed particular concern about what he described as a “systemic pattern” of repression. “When the law was introduced in 2022, the authorities claimed it would not be applied against journalists. In reality, however, it is now being used precisely against them,” he explained.

The convictions have drawn sharp criticism from international press freedom advocates. Erol Yonderoğlu of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the sentences, stating that they aim “to strip journalists of their public role” and warning that “journalism cannot cease to be a dangerous profession until the instrumentalization of the law is brought to an end.”

Turkey’s standing in global press freedom rankings remains dismal, with the country placed 159th out of 180 nations in RSF’s latest Press Freedom Index—positioned between Pakistan and Venezuela. These latest convictions are likely to reinforce concerns about the deteriorating state of media independence in what was once considered a more progressive Muslim-majority democracy.