{"id":65851,"date":"2026-04-22T05:25:16","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T05:25:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/65851\/"},"modified":"2026-04-22T05:25:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-22T05:25:16","slug":"turkey-arrests-journalist-over-post-on-school-knife-attack-despite-later-correction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/65851\/","title":{"rendered":"Turkey arrests journalist over post on school knife attack despite later correction"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Turkish court on Saturday ordered the arrest<\/a> of local journalist Mehmet Yetim on charges of publicly disseminating misleading information in a social media post about a knife attack at a school in the southeastern province of \u015eanl\u0131urfa, even though he later deleted the post and shared a correction.<\/p>\n

Yetim, the editor-in-chief of the local Kulis TV, was detained in a dawn raid on his home and later jailed pending trial, with the court saying judicial supervision measures would be insufficient, according to the Bianet news website.<\/p>\n

The charges stem from a post he shared on an April 17 incident at Dumlup\u0131nar Middle School, where an assailant entered the school with a knife. The incident came days after a school shooting in \u015eanl\u0131urfa on April 14 by a 19-year-old former student that left 16 people injured and in which the attacker later died by suicide, and another attack the following day at a school in Kahramanmara\u015f by a 14-year-old student that killed<\/a> nine.<\/p>\n

In his initial post, Yetim said a parent had attacked a teacher with a knife and that a deputy principal had been injured. The post spread quickly on social media.<\/p>\n

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After further details emerged, Yetim removed the post and shared a statement from the governor\u2019s office, saying the assailant had been neutralized and that no one was injured.<\/p>\n

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In his statement to prosecutors, Yetim said he had shared information circulating online, removed the post once clearer details emerged and issued a correction, adding that he had no intention of misleading the public.<\/p>\n

The arrest drew criticism from opposition politicians and journalist associations.<\/p>\n

Main opposition Republican People\u2019s Party (CHP) \u015eanl\u0131urfa lawmaker Mahmut Tanal described the arrest as \u201can attempt to intimidate the press,\u201d while \u0130Y\u0130 (Good) Party Deputy Chair and former \u015eanl\u0131urfa mayor Ahmet E\u015fref Fak\u0131baba said it raised concerns about press freedom.<\/p>\n

Gazeteci Mehmet Yetim, payla\u015ft\u0131\u011f\u0131 bilgiye ili\u015fkin uyar\u0131 sonras\u0131 gerekli d\u00fczeltmeyi yapm\u0131\u015f ve niyetinin bilgilendirme oldu\u011funu a\u00e7\u0131klam\u0131\u015ft\u0131r. Buna ra\u011fmen tutuklanmas\u0131 bas\u0131n \u00f6zg\u00fcrl\u00fc\u011f\u00fc a\u00e7\u0131s\u0131ndan endi\u015fe vericidir. En k\u0131sa s\u00fcrede serbest b\u0131rak\u0131lmas\u0131n\u0131 ve aram\u0131zda olmas\u0131n\u0131 temenni\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/Wt3dZ7gTf3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Dr. Ahmet E\u015fref FAKIBABA (@aefakibaba) April 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Peoples\u2019 Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) lawmaker Dilan Kunt Ayan called the arrest \u201cunacceptable,\u201d while fellow party lawmaker Ferit \u015eenya\u015far said jailing a journalist over a report made without intent \u201chas wounded the public conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Media Writers Association President Mustafa Pak\u0131r<\/a>, G\u00f6beklitepe Journalists and Writers Association President Re\u015fit \u00d6ncel<\/a> and Anatolian Press Union President Mehmet Bora Zor<\/a> said the arrest amounted to interference in press freedom.<\/p>\n

Yetim had previously been briefly detained<\/a> for sharing a video showing an elderly man sexually harassing a 2-year-old girl, in violation of a reporting ban.<\/p>\n

Turkey has long faced criticism from international organizations over press freedom.\u00a0According to Expression Interrupted, a press freedom monitoring group, 27 journalists\u00a0are<\/a>\u00a0currently behind bars in Turkey. The country\u2019s deteriorating media landscape was further pointed out in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where it was\u00a0ranked<\/a>\u00a0159th out of 180 nations.<\/p>\n