31 July – 2025
An indictment against journalist Fatih Altaylı on the charge of “threatening the President” (Article 106/1 of the Turkish Penal Code) was accepted by the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court.
Altaylı was taken into custody on 21 June 2025 based on statements he made during a broadcast on his YouTube channel on 20 June, and was arrested on 22 June.
In his statement during the investigation phase, Altaylı denied the accusations, stating that his remarks did not constitute a threat and that he was emphasizing the importance of the right to choose through a historical example.
The indictment claimed that Altaylı’s remarks referred to a potential attack on the President’s life and thus constituted a threat. It also argued that the video was publicly shared via mass media and reached a large audience, and that the act was carried out with “intent to communicate” the threat.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was listed as the “complainant” in the indictment through his legal representative.
The first hearing is scheduled for 3 October 2025 at Courtroom No. 2 across from the Marmara Prison Complex.
