A lawsuit was filed against Gerçek Gündem news site editor Furkan Karabay on charges of “insulting the president,” “insult” and “defamation” over the statements he made on Mirgün Cabas’ YouTube broadcast on 19 January 2024. In the indictment filed by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on 5 September 2024, in addition to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his daughter Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar and his sons Burak Erdoğan and Ahmet Erdoğan are also included as plaintiffs. The indictment was accepted by İstanbul 56th Criminal Court of First Instance on 16 September 2024. The first hearing will be held on 5 February 2025 (20 Eylül).
21 February 2025
At the second hearing held at the 56th Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul, the prosecutor requested a sentence against journalist Furkan Karabay on charges of “insulting the President,” “insult,” and “defamation.” The trial was adjourned to 18 April.