Journalist İsmail Arı detained after complaint from former media regulator chief

İsmail Arı, a reporter for the BirGün newspaper, was detained today following a complaint filed by Ebubekir Şahin, former chair of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), the country’s broadcasting regulator.

Arı faces accusations of “insulting a public official in connection with their duties” and “publicly disseminating misleading information.”

According to BirGün, Arı was summoned to the Ankara Police Department’s Security Branch to give a statement at 3.30 pm today.

The journalist arrived at the police station at the scheduled time but was informed of a detention order against him while he was there to provide his statement.

Authorities have not yet disclosed which news report or social media post prompted the investigation.

Arı has been detained and prosecuted multiple times in recent years over his journalistic work.

(HA/VK)