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3 journalists detained for revealing phone call with court-appointed expert witness

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Three journalists have been detained in Turkey after journalist Barış Pehlivan aired a phone call between himself and a court-appointed expert witness whom İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu had accused of bias, prompting a criminal investigation by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that journalists Pehlivan, Seda Selek and Serhan Asker were taken into custody as part of an investigation into the unauthorized recording and public disclosure of a conversation involving an expert witness in an ongoing court case. The prosecution has charged them under Article 133/3 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), which criminalizes the unlawful recording and publication of non-public conversations, and Article 277, which penalizes attempts to influence expert witnesses in legal proceedings.

The arrests have further fueled concerns over press freedom and judicial independence in Turkey, where opposition-aligned media outlets frequently face legal pressure.

The detentions were met with swift condemnation from opposition politicians, including İstanbul Mayor İmamoğlu from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), who denounced the move as “an attempt to instill fear and silence journalists.”

“Turkey has entered a new era of ‘touch them and you burn,'” İmamoğlu wrote on X. “We see how judicial power is being openly abused to spread fear across society. But we will not be intimidated. Do not be afraid, and do not stay silent.”

İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality officials confirmed that Pehlivan, a columnist and commentator, was detained at Halk TV’s İstanbul headquarters, while Asker, the broadcaster’s news director, was taken into custody at İzmir Airport while traveling for a program. Selek, the anchor of the show that aired the controversial phone call, was detained separately in İstanbul.

According to the prosecution’s statement, the journalists face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to 4,000 days’ wages for violating privacy laws, while the charge of attempting to influence a court-appointed expert witness carries a potential prison sentence of two to four years.

The controversy stems from a January 27 broadcast on Halk TV, in which journalist Pehlivan aired an unauthorized recording of a phone call between himself and an expert witness. The expert witness, identified only as S.B., had been assigned to review cases involving İmamoğlu and other CHP-led municipalities facing legal scrutiny.

During the conversation, the expert witness reportedly discussed ongoing investigations into İstanbul’s municipal contracts, prompting accusations that the judiciary was being used to target opposition mayors. İmamoğlu, who has repeatedly claimed that the investigations into him are politically motivated, had earlier accused the expert witness of bias and fabricating evidence against CHP-run municipalities.

Following the broadcast, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office quickly launched an investigation, stating that the expert witness’s identity was publicly disclosed in a way that could “influence the outcome of ongoing legal proceedings.” The prosecution also noted that additional suspects, including those who shared similar content on social media, could also face legal action.

The detentions come amid mounting legal pressure on Mayor İmamoğlu, who is widely seen as a potential challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the 2028 presidential election. The İstanbul mayor currently faces multiple court cases, including an appeal against a two-year, seven-month prison sentence that could bar him from holding office if upheld.

Earlier this month İmamoğlu had accused the court-appointed expert witness of fabricating evidence against him, claiming that the expert had a pattern of writing biased reports targeting CHP-run municipalities. The prosecution later announced that it was opening a separate investigation into İmamoğlu himself for allegedly “publicly targeting an expert witness.”

Amid this intensifying legal battle, opposition leaders have accused the government of weaponizing the judiciary to remove Erdoğan’s political rivals. CHP leader Özgür Özel described the arrests as “a continuation of the government’s war on opposition voices.”

President Erdoğan and senior government officials have dismissed claims that the detentions are politically motivated. Speaking in the Central Anatolian province of Konya, Erdoğan accused the opposition of “trying to pressure the judiciary” and “acting as if they are above the law.”

“No one, including you, Mr. İmamoğlu, is above the law,” Erdoğan said. “The judiciary will do its job, and you will respect it whether you like it or not.”

The arrests have reignited concerns over freedom of the press in Turkey, which has declined sharply in recent years. Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey 158th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index, citing widespread government control over the media and the frequent arrest of journalists.

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