Turkey Arrests Journalists Under Disinformation Law Amidst Growing Press Crackdown

• •Ali Tarakcı was arrested for a social media post predicting a minister's resignation.
• •Turkey's disinformation law is being used to silence journalists, with over a dozen arrests in 2026.
• •Tarakcı's social media account has been blocked following his arrest.

On September 29, 2026, Turkish authorities arrested journalist Ali Tarakcı for allegedly spreading disinformation regarding a minister's resignation. His arrest followed a social media post claiming a significant minister would resign, leading to a detention order issued by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Tarakcı's social media account was subsequently blocked in Turkey. The Committee to Protect Journalists highlighted that this incident is part of a broader trend, with over a dozen journalists detained in 2026 under the controversial disinformation law enacted in 2022. The law was initially claimed not to target journalists, but its application has raised concerns about press freedom in Turkey. Another journalist, Fatih Ergin, was also arrested recently under similar charges, indicating a systematic approach to suppress dissenting voices in the media.