Journalist Merdan Yanardağ arrested over Öcalan remarks

ISTANBUL

Journalist Merdan Yanardağ has been arrested following an ex officio investigation stemming from his televised remarks concerning PKK terror organization's imprisoned ringleader Abdullah Öcalan.

Yanardağ faced charges of “praising the crime and the criminal” as well as “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” due to his statements about Öcalan during a broadcast on the TELE1 channel on June 25.

Following his overnight custody, Yanardağ was taken to the Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul to provide a statement to the prosecutor’s office.

During his speech, Yanardağ stated, “Öcalan is the longest-serving political prisoner in Türkiye. If normal execution laws were applicable, he should actually be released... The isolation imposed on Öcalan has no legal basis.”

After his arrest, Yanardağ organized a live broadcast, where he addressed the reactions, claiming that certain parts of the program were selectively shared on social media, which presented a distorted picture.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU - has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.