Turkey detains 2 prominent journalists amid growing crackdown

ANKARA — Turkish police on Thursday detained two prominent journalists — Timur Soykan and Murat Agirel — in dawn raids amid a crackdown on dissent that accelerated following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and the ensuing protests.

Soykan and Agirel, investigative journalists working for left-leaning newspapers BirGun and Cumhuriyet, respectively, were taken into custody from their homes in Istanbul in the early hours of the morning over accusations of "threat" and "blackmail" as part of an investigation by the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office, Turkey’s private news agency Demiroren reported.

Both newspapers slammed the detentions, saying they aimed to silence the two leading journalists at a time when authorities are tightening their grip over the media following Imamoglu’s detention on March 19.

"Whatever justification the authorities may offer, it is clear that our colleagues were detained because they have consistently exposed unlawful judicial practices since March 19," BirGun, Soykan’s newspaper, said in a statement after his detention.

Imamoglu, presidential contender for the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and a key rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, was jailed on March 23 on corruption charges following his detention.

Government critics believe the arrest was politically motivated, leading to nationwide mass protests and calls for economic boycotts. The Turkish government, in turn, staunchly denied the claim. Turkish authorities have detained more than 1,000 people, including over a dozen journalists, allegedly involved in the protests or the boycott calls since the mayor's arrest. While some journalists have been released pending trial, others remain in custody, including Swedish national Joakim Medin, who was arrested after traveling to Istanbul to cover the protests.

The main opposition CHP also denounced the detention of Soykan and Agirel.

"Those who wield the judiciary as a weapon aim solely to intimidate critical journalists and independent media," CHP’s Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut wrote on the X platform.

International bodies, including the European Union, have long criticized the erosion of judicial independence and increasing authoritarian rule in Turkey, particularly since its transition to an executive presidential system under Erdogan in 2018.

Enes Ermaner, Agirel’s lawyer, said both journalists had already planned to appear before police today to give statements as part of the investigation, before being detained in early morning raids.

Ermaner also noted that digital devices, including phones and computers, were seized from their homes.