Nedim Oruç, a reporter for the Kurdish-language outlet Ajansa Welat, was arrested by a court in Şırnak, in southeastern Turkey on January 17, 2026, on suspicion of “terrorism propaganda”.
Police in Şırnak detained Oruç on January 14, and a court arrested him on January 17, pending trial, according to reports and court documents reviewed by CPJ. Oruç told the authorities that he had been planning to cover a protest when he was detained alongside several protesters.
Oruç was charged with the same offenses as the protesters: obtaining dangerous materials, covering one’s face during a protest, resisting the police and terrorism propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The indictment offered his journalism as evidence against him.
Oruç was released pending trial on April 24, 2026, during the first hearing of his ongoing trial.
The second hearing was heard by the Şırnak court on June 25 and heard testimony from journalists who were working alongside Oruç on the day of his detention. One witness testified that Oruç had his camera and press card visibly hanging from his neck as he was taken into police custody. The court set the next hearing for September 25.
CPJ’s email requesting comment from the chief prosecutor’s office in Şırnak in July 2026 did not receive a reply.