Journalist Şardan arrested

ISTANBUL

Journalist Tolga Şardan has been arrested following the publication of an article alleging that Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization (MİT) had submitted a report to the presidency regarding corruption in the judiciary.

Şardan, who writes for the news outlet T24, raised questions in his article, titled "What is in the 'judicial report' submitted by MİT to the Presidency?"

The article by Şardan discussed a letter supposedly containing findings on allegations of corruption in the judiciary, which was reportedly submitted to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan by the intelligence agency.

In an official statement, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office revealed that they launched an investigation into Şardan's article due to concerns that it contained statements that could be construed as "publicly disseminating misleading information to the public," a crime in Türkiye since last month.

As part of the investigation, police teams conducted a search of Şardan's home, which lasted nearly an hour. He was subsequently taken into custody and brought to the Ankara courthouse for questioning.

The Directorate of Communications' Centre for Combating Disinformation swiftly rejected the allegations raised in Şardan's article, asserting that it contained disinformation.

Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), expressed his concern about the arrest in a statement on X, formerly Twitter.

"Shame on those who consider journalism a crime and those who see journalists as enemies. The arrest of journalist Tolga Şardan is a shameful decision," he wrote.

"Since you have a claim such as 'publicly disseminating misleading information to the public,' explain the report, let everyone know who is misleading the public and who is lying!"

Şardan, who began his journalism career in 1988 at now-defunct Ankara Ulus newspaper, worked as a police reporter and columnist for daily Milliyet from 1989 to 2018.

Meanwhile, Dinçer Gökçe, a reporter for private television Halk TV, was also detained following the publication of an article regarding "the release order for two gang leaders."

Gökçe was freed on the condition of judicial control after providing a statement at the prosecutor's office.