Journalist İsmail Arı, who was detained on 21 March, has been arrested by the criminal court to which he was referred without his statement being taken by the prosecution.

BirGün newspaper reporter İsmail Arı completed his procedures at the police headquarters in Ankara, where he was brought following his detention in the Turhal district of Tokat. The prosecution referred Arı to the criminal court with a request for his arrest without taking his statement. Lawyers Taylan Arı, Gizem Özdem, Deniz Özgün Kaplan, Kerem Altıparmak, Nazım Ülger, and İlhan Cihaner arrived at the Ankara Courthouse to conduct İsmail Arı’s defence. Arı, who was referred with a request for arrest without even having his statement taken by the prosecution, was arrested.

Arı, a reporter for BirGün Newspaper, was detained at around 22:10 on the evening of 21 March in Turhal, where he was visiting for the holiday. It was learned that Arı was accused of "publicly spreading misleading information." Brought to Ankara in the morning hours following his detention, Arı's procedures continued there.

It was stated that the investigation is being carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

‘Stop criminalising journalism’

CHP Deputy Chairman Burhanettin Bulut made the following statements in a post on his social media account: "BirGün Newspaper’s successful reporter İsmail Arı, who pursues the truth, was detained in his paternal home in Tokat where he went to pay his respects during the holiday, and was arrested in Ankara on the pretext of what he said while connecting to a broadcast three months ago.

Are the consciences of those who say 'We also have parents' clear? Does İsmail Arı not have parents? What is this law of revenge, if not cruelty? But your judicial stick, your intimidation, and your showing the stick under the cloak to the free press are in vain…

Those who think they have silenced İsmail Arı are in great error. Free journalists will continue to write and reveal the truths under all circumstances. Stop criminalising journalism. Because journalism is not a crime; it is an honourable profession that defends the people's right to receive information."

SOL Party: You cannot arrest the truth

The SOL Party reacted to the arrest of BirGün newspaper reporter İsmail Arı. In a statement from the party, it was said, "You cannot arrest the truth; no matter what you do, neither honourable journalists will give up writing nor will these people give up resisting. We will be İsmail’s voice against fascism!"

TİP: İsmail Arı should be released immediately

The Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) also stated, "Journalist İsmail Arı, who has been targeted and threatened many times for reporting on the dirty relations established by cults and communities with politics, was arrested on fabricated grounds. We stand by the journalists who struggle for a free press against blows to the people's right to information. İsmail Arı should be released immediately!"

EMEP: People's journalists do not give up writing the truth

Labour Party (EMEP) Chairman Seyit Aslan said, “The Palace judiciary has once again trampled on the law. BirGün reporter İsmail Arı was arrested by instruction. İsmail Arı will not be silenced, the people's journalists will not give up writing the truths. İsmail Arı should be released immediately! Journalism is not a crime.”

BirGün: We will lose neither our anger nor our honour

BirGün Publishing Coordinator Yaşar Aydın said: "We are undoubtedly sad. But we are as proud and angry as we are sad. Our honour is to share the same profession, work in the same office, and breathe the same air as such a good journalist, a journalist who loves his people and his country so much… But our anger is also that we are left alone with a government that persecutes such good people. We will lose neither our anger nor our honour. Sooner or later, the beautiful people of the country will achieve success. Yes, we saw İsmail off to prison, but from tomorrow, those who gave the instruction to arrest him today will continue to read İsmail's ideas and news every day. They will face and encounter him every day. Let this be our promise to İsmail."

RSF: The liquidation process against investigative journalism is proceeding rapidly

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative Erol Önderoğlu reacted by saying, “The arrest of İsmail Arı one month after Alican Uludağ shows that the political project aimed at the liquidation of investigative journalism through the judiciary is operating ruthlessly. Just like the arrests, the targeting of the dynamics of the public's access to news is also worrying.”