{
  "id": 178,
  "slug": "2022-turkiye-prosecutes-sedef-kabas",
  "title": "Turkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas tried for insulting the president",
  "occurred_on": "2022-01-14",
  "occurred_on_precision": "day",
  "ended_on": null,
  "jurisdiction": "TR",
  "country": "TR",
  "continent": "asia",
  "level": "national",
  "type": null,
  "tactic_primary": "lawsuits_against_press",
  "leader_slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
  "issue_of_the_day": "Not stated in the sources reviewed.",
  "outcome": "ongoing",
  "outcome_on": "2023-06-22",
  "outcome_note": "The Istanbul court declined to dismiss the second charge and the case remained open as of the source reviewed.",
  "granularity": "granular",
  "era": "2020s",
  "summary": "Turkish authorities tried journalist Sedef Kabas repeatedly for insulting President Erdogan over her on-air comments and tweets questioning his college diploma and alleging corruption, an offense carrying up to four years in prison.{c:551}{c:675}{c:676}{c:677}",
  "what_happened": "Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas was arrested on January 14, 2022, over on-air comments prosecutors said insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan under Article 299 of Turkiye's penal code, an offense that can carry up to four years in prison, with an added penalty if the insult was made publicly. She was convicted and sentenced to two years and four months in prison but was released pending appeal on March 11, 2022. Turkish prosecutors then pursued a separate case over a series of her tweets, in which she questioned the validity of Erdogan's college diploma, made allegations of corruption, and criticized several of his policies and statements. On June 22, 2023, an Istanbul court denied a motion to dismiss that second insult charge, keeping Kabas on trial for statements made from outside any official capacity, as an independent journalist and commentator.{c:551}{c:675}{c:676}{c:677}\n\nOngoing as of the source reviewed.{c:551}{c:675}{c:676}{c:677}",
  "stated_justification": "Not stated in the sources reviewed.{c:551}{c:675}{c:676}{c:677}",
  "effect_on_reporting": "Repeated prosecutions under the insult law kept Kabas facing potential imprisonment for years over ordinary commentary and tweets about the president, a pattern CPJ said was a severe threat to free speech in Turkiye.{c:551}",
  "unknowns": "The sources reviewed do not report the final outcome of the second insult prosecution.",
  "status": "in_effect",
  "status_updated_on": "2026-09-22",
  "external_ids": {},
  "illustration_key": null,
  "pub_state": "published",
  "published_at": "2026-09-23T01:20:10Z",
  "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22",
  "next_review_on": "2026-12-22",
  "revision": 9,
  "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:20:04Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-09-23T02:21:13Z",
  "stage": "punish",
  "ladder_note": "A journalist faced a second prosecution carrying up to four years in prison for tweets questioning the president's diploma, after an earlier conviction on the same charge; United States lawsuits against the press seek damages, not prison time.",
  "country_name": "Türkiye",
  "tactics": [
    "lawsuits_against_press"
  ],
  "leader": {
    "slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
    "name": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan",
    "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/recep-tayyip-erdogan"
  },
  "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-turkiye-prosecutes-sedef-kabas",
  "page_meta": {
    "published": "2026-09-23T01:20:10Z",
    "reviewed": "2026-09-22",
    "sources": 2,
    "status": "in_effect",
    "statusAsOf": "2026-09-22",
    "unknowns": "The sources reviewed do not report the final outcome of the second insult prosecution."
  },
  "actors": [
    {
      "slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
      "name": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan",
      "kind": "person",
      "role": "other",
      "role_at_time": null,
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/actors/recep-tayyip-erdogan"
    }
  ],
  "outlets": [],
  "journalists": [
    {
      "slug": "sedef-kabas",
      "name": "Sedef Kabas",
      "outlet": null,
      "relation": "affected",
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/journalists/sedef-kabas"
    }
  ],
  "cases": [],
  "related": [],
  "events": [],
  "claims": [
    {
      "id": 551,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 178,
      "field": "effect_on_reporting",
      "value": "CPJ calls the prosecution a severe threat to free speech",
      "statement": "CPJ's characterization of the continued prosecution.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 361,
      "evidence_quote": "Turkish authorities' persistence in putting journalist Sedef Kabaş on trial for allegedly insulting the president is a severe threat to free speech.",
      "evidence_date": "2023-06-22",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:20:08Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 361,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
        "title": "Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2023-06-22",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/551"
    },
    {
      "id": 675,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 178,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "Charged for tweets questioning his diploma and alleging corruption",
      "statement": "The specific statements underlying the second prosecution.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 361,
      "evidence_quote": "in which she questioned the validity of his college diploma, made allegations of corruption, and criticized numerous policies and statements of the president",
      "evidence_date": "2023-06-22",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:35:41Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 361,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
        "title": "Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2023-06-22",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/675"
    },
    {
      "id": 676,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 178,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "Insult conviction can carry up to four years",
      "statement": "The statutory penalty under the insult law.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 361,
      "evidence_quote": "Insulting Turkey's president can carry a prison sentence of up to four years, with an added penalty if the insult was made in public.",
      "evidence_date": "2023-06-22",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:35:41Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 361,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
        "title": "Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2023-06-22",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/676"
    },
    {
      "id": 677,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 178,
      "field": "action",
      "value": "Earlier convicted and released pending appeal",
      "statement": "Outcome of her first prosecution under the same charge.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 361,
      "evidence_quote": "Kabas was arrested for the same charge over her on-air comments in January 2022. She was found guilty and sentenced to two years and four months in prison, but was released pending appeal on March 11, 2022.",
      "evidence_date": "2023-06-22",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "seed-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-23T01:35:42Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 361,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
        "title": "Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2023-06-22",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/677"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": 361,
      "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
      "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/",
      "title": "Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan",
      "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
      "published_on": "2023-06-22",
      "link_state": "live",
      "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
      "wayback_url": null,
      "wayback_saved_at": null
    },
    {
      "id": 439,
      "url": "https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkish-journalist-arrested-insulting-erdogan-cnn-turk-2022-01-22/",
      "final_url": null,
      "title": "Turkish journalist arrested on charge of insulting Erdogan -CNN Turk",
      "publisher": "Reuters",
      "published_on": "2022-01-22",
      "link_state": "unchecked",
      "link_state_since": null,
      "wayback_url": null,
      "wayback_saved_at": null
    }
  ],
  "revisions_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-turkiye-prosecutes-sedef-kabas/revisions",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  },
  "cite_as": "Turkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas tried for insulting the president. The War On News, thewaronnews.com. https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-turkiye-prosecutes-sedef-kabas. Retrieved 2026-09-23."
}