Turkish journalist Sedef Kabaş speaks to the media on October 6, 2015, in Istanbul. Authorities recently detained Kabaş for allegedly insulting the president. (AFP/Ozan Kose)

CPJ joins call for Turkey to release journalist Sedef Kabaş

On February 1, 2022, the Committee to Protect Journalists joined the International Press Institute and 25 other international groups in a joint letter calling for Turkish authorities to release journalist Sedef Kabaş immediately.

Authorities detained Kabaş, a freelance journalist and former television anchor, on January 22 for “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during an appearance on a political debate show on TELE1 TV, as CPJ documented at the time. Convictions for insulting the president can carry prison terms of up to four years, with an added penalty if the insult was made in public

The letter calls on Turkish to release Kabaş and all other imprisoned journalists, as well as to investigate death threats to Deutsche Welle court reporter Alican Uludağ, who covered Kabaş’s arrest. The letter also asks for authorities to drop fines and penalties issued to TELE1 TV over her remarks.

The letter is available here.