{
  "id": 123,
  "slug": "2023-turkiye-detains-journalists-disinformation-law",
  "title": "Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' law",
  "occurred_on": "2023-11-01",
  "occurred_on_precision": "day",
  "ended_on": null,
  "jurisdiction": "TR",
  "country": "TR",
  "continent": "asia",
  "level": "national",
  "type": null,
  "tactic_primary": "insult_and_defamation_laws",
  "leader_slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
  "issue_of_the_day": "Sardan had written about an alleged Turkish intelligence report on judicial corruption, which the government's Center for Combating Disinformation denied existed; Halk TV's Dincer Gokce had reported on people released from prison who were later linked to further crimes.",
  "outcome": "ongoing",
  "outcome_on": null,
  "outcome_note": "Two of the three journalists were released within a day; Tolga Sardan remained jailed pending trial.",
  "granularity": "granular",
  "era": "2020s",
  "summary": "Turkish authorities detained three journalists, jailing columnist Tolga Sardan pending trial, under a 2022 law criminalizing the spread of disinformation, after the government's own disinformation-fighting body disputed their reporting on a leaked intelligence document and a story about released prisoners.{c:461}",
  "what_happened": "On November 1 and 2, 2023, Turkish authorities detained T24 columnist Tolga Sardan, Halk TV news editor Dincer Gokce and Kisa Dalga reporter Cengiz Erdinc under Turkiye's 2022 law criminalizing the spread of what officials call disinformation. Sardan was jailed pending trial after writing about an intelligence report on judicial corruption that the government's Center for Combating Disinformation said did not exist. Gokce was released after a court ordered him to read books about journalism, over an article about people released from prison who authorities said had been wrongly described. Erdinc was released the following day. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Turkish authorities to release Sardan and Erdinc without delay and said the vague law would continue to stifle reporting in the country.{c:461}{c:462}{c:463}",
  "stated_justification": "Turkey's Center for Combating Disinformation denied the existence of the intelligence report Sardan had written about, and authorities said Gokce's article about released prisoners had proven inaccurate.{c:461}{c:462}{c:463}",
  "effect_on_reporting": "A columnist was jailed pending trial and another journalist was ordered by a court to read books about journalism, over stories the government's own disinformation body disputed rather than a court finding of falsity through an ordinary defamation process.{c:462}",
  "unknowns": null,
  "status": "in_effect",
  "status_updated_on": "2026-09-22",
  "external_ids": {},
  "illustration_key": null,
  "pub_state": "published",
  "published_at": "2026-09-22T23:17:37Z",
  "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22",
  "next_review_on": "2026-12-22",
  "revision": 5,
  "created_at": "2026-09-22T23:17:32Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-09-23T00:09:47Z",
  "stage": "punish",
  "ladder_note": null,
  "country_name": "Türkiye",
  "tactics": [
    "insult_and_defamation_laws",
    "detention_and_violence"
  ],
  "leader": {
    "slug": "recep-tayyip-erdogan",
    "name": "Recep Tayyip Erdoğan",
    "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/recep-tayyip-erdogan"
  },
  "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-detains-journalists-disinformation-law",
  "page_meta": {
    "published": "2026-09-22T23:17:37Z",
    "reviewed": "2026-09-22",
    "sources": 2,
    "status": "in_effect",
    "statusAsOf": "2026-09-22",
    "unknowns": null
  },
  "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"
    },
    {
      "slug": "turkish-center-for-combating-disinformation",
      "name": "Turkish Center for Combating Disinformation",
      "kind": "body",
      "role": "enforced",
      "role_at_time": null,
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/actors/turkish-center-for-combating-disinformation"
    }
  ],
  "outlets": [],
  "journalists": [],
  "cases": [],
  "related": [],
  "events": [],
  "claims": [
    {
      "id": 461,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 123,
      "field": "occurred_on",
      "value": "2023-11-01",
      "statement": "CPJ called on Turkish authorities to release Sardan and Erdinc without delay under the disinformation law.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 315,
      "evidence_quote": "Turkish authorities should stop using this law against journalists; release columnist Tolga Sardan and reporter Cengiz Erdinc without delay",
      "evidence_date": "2023-11-03",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "v2-research-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-22T23:17:33Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 315,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/11/in-turkey-3-journalists-detained-for-disinformation-one-jailed-3-others-under-investigation/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/11/in-turkey-3-journalists-detained-for-disinformation-one-jailed-3-others-under-investigation/",
        "title": "In Turkey, 3 journalists detained for 'disinformation,' one jailed, 3 others under investigation",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2023-11-03",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T23:23:23Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/461"
    },
    {
      "id": 462,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 123,
      "field": "effect_on_reporting",
      "value": "CPJ says the law stifles reporting",
      "statement": "CPJ said the vague disinformation law would continue to stifle reporting in Turkiye.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 315,
      "evidence_quote": "vague law criminalizing disinformation would stifle reporting in the country and they have been proven correct.",
      "evidence_date": "2023-11-03",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "v2-research-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-22T23:17:33Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 315,
        "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/11/in-turkey-3-journalists-detained-for-disinformation-one-jailed-3-others-under-investigation/",
        "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/11/in-turkey-3-journalists-detained-for-disinformation-one-jailed-3-others-under-investigation/",
        "title": "In Turkey, 3 journalists detained for 'disinformation,' one jailed, 3 others under investigation",
        "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
        "published_on": "2023-11-03",
        "link_state": "live",
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        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/462"
    },
    {
      "id": 463,
      "subject_type": "incident",
      "subject_id": 123,
      "field": "status",
      "value": "Journalist says only government information counts as true",
      "statement": "A Turkish journalist said any information not sourced from the government was treated as false under the law.",
      "attribution": null,
      "source_id": 316,
      "evidence_quote": "Any information not sourced from the government is deemed false.",
      "evidence_date": "2023-01-10",
      "method": "outlet_report",
      "verified_at": "2026-09-22",
      "confidence": "medium",
      "status": "current",
      "supersedes_id": null,
      "superseded_by": null,
      "supersede_reason": null,
      "batch_label": "v2-research-2026-09-22",
      "created_at": "2026-09-22T23:17:34Z",
      "source": {
        "id": 316,
        "url": "https://www.mlsaturkey.com/en/journalists-criticize-turkeys-disinformation-law-any-information-not-from-the-government-is-labeled-false",
        "final_url": "https://www.mlsaturkey.com/en/journalists-criticize-turkeys-disinformation-law-any-information-not-from-the-government-is-labeled-false",
        "title": "Journalists criticize Turkey's disinformation law: 'Any information not from the government is labeled false'",
        "publisher": "Media and Law Studies Association",
        "published_on": "2023-01-10",
        "link_state": "live",
        "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T23:23:23Z",
        "wayback_url": null,
        "wayback_saved_at": null
      },
      "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/claims/463"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": 315,
      "url": "https://cpj.org/2023/11/in-turkey-3-journalists-detained-for-disinformation-one-jailed-3-others-under-investigation/",
      "final_url": "https://cpj.org/2023/11/in-turkey-3-journalists-detained-for-disinformation-one-jailed-3-others-under-investigation/",
      "title": "In Turkey, 3 journalists detained for 'disinformation,' one jailed, 3 others under investigation",
      "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
      "published_on": "2023-11-03",
      "link_state": "live",
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      "wayback_url": null,
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    },
    {
      "id": 316,
      "url": "https://www.mlsaturkey.com/en/journalists-criticize-turkeys-disinformation-law-any-information-not-from-the-government-is-labeled-false",
      "final_url": "https://www.mlsaturkey.com/en/journalists-criticize-turkeys-disinformation-law-any-information-not-from-the-government-is-labeled-false",
      "title": "Journalists criticize Turkey's disinformation law: 'Any information not from the government is labeled false'",
      "publisher": "Media and Law Studies Association",
      "published_on": "2023-01-10",
      "link_state": "live",
      "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T23:23:23Z",
      "wayback_url": null,
      "wayback_saved_at": null
    }
  ],
  "revisions_url": "https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-detains-journalists-disinformation-law/revisions",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  },
  "cite_as": "Turkish authorities detain three journalists under 'disinformation' law. The War On News, thewaronnews.com. https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2023-turkiye-detains-journalists-disinformation-law. Retrieved 2026-09-23."
}