# Turkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas tried for insulting the president

Published 2026-09-23. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: in effect, as of 2026-09-22.

What we don't know: The sources reviewed do not report the final outcome of the second insult prosecution.

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.[1][2][3][4]

- Country: [Türkiye](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/tr) (RSF 2026 rank: 163rd of 180)
- Where: Türkiye
- Level of government: National
- Tactic: Lawsuits against the press
- Stage: Punish (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/lawsuits_against_press#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.
- Head of government at the time: [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/recep-tayyip-erdogan)
- Issue of the day: Not stated in the sources reviewed.
- Outcome: Ongoing, June 22, 2023. The Istanbul court declined to dismiss the second charge and the case remained open as of the source reviewed.
- Era: The 2020s

## 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.[1][2][3][4]

Ongoing as of the source reviewed.[1][2][3][4]

## What reason was given

Not stated in the sources reviewed.[1][2][3][4]

## What changed for 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.[1]

## Timeline

- 2022-01-14: Turkiye: journalist Sedef Kabas tried for insulting the president

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/recep-tayyip-erdogan) | other | President of Türkiye |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Sedef Kabas](https://thewaronnews.com/journalists/sedef-kabas) | journalist | affected |

## Sources

1. Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan. https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/ (Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-06-22).
2. Turkish journalist arrested on charge of insulting Erdogan -CNN Turk. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/turkish-journalist-arrested-insulting-erdogan-cnn-turk-2022-01-22/ (Reuters, 2022-01-22).

## Claims cited

[1] CPJ's characterization of the continued prosecution. Quote: "Turkish authorities' persistence in putting journalist Sedef Kabaş on trial for allegedly insulting the president is a severe threat to free speech." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-06-22. Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan. https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/551, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] The specific statements underlying the second prosecution. Quote: "in which she questioned the validity of his college diploma, made allegations of corruption, and criticized numerous policies and statements of the president" Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-06-22. Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan. https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/675, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] The statutory penalty under the insult law. 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." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-06-22. Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan. https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/676, checked 2026-09-22.

[4] Outcome of her first prosecution under the same charge. 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." Source: Committee to Protect Journalists, 2023-06-22. Turkish journalist Sedef Kabas facing new trial for 'insulting' President Erdogan. https://cpj.org/2023/06/turkish-journalist-sedef-kabas-facing-new-trial-for-insulting-president-erdogan/ Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/677, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2022-turkiye-prosecutes-sedef-kabas. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.