Turkey Detains Journalists Amid Intensifying Crackdown on Opposition

Turkish authorities have detained three journalists from opposition-affiliated Halk TV, escalating concerns over press freedom and political dissent. The arrests stem from their coverage of a legal probe into Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent figure from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office recently accused İmamoğlu of targeting an expert witness in a speech, after he publicly identified the individual responsible for multiple reports scrutinizing opposition-led municipalities. Halk TV’s managing director Serhan Asker, presenter Seda Selek, and journalist Barış Pehlivan were detained for revealing the expert’s identity and publishing a recording of their phone conversation with him, according to state-run Anadolu Agency. They now face charges of “attempting to influence the expert” and “intercepting and recording private communications.”

Turkey, already among the world’s top jailers of journalists, has seen a surge in legal action against media figures and opposition politicians, raising serious concerns about the rule of law.

The latest arrests follow last week’s detention of Ümit Özdağ, leader of a small nationalist party and outspoken critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. His lawyer, Kahraman Berk, condemned the case as politically motivated.

Additionally, the Interior Ministry announced on Wednesday that the mayor of Siirt, a southeastern province, had been removed from office after being convicted of membership in a terrorist organization. The mayor was a member of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, which has frequently faced government crackdowns.