KHK TV journalist, rights advocate detained in Türkiye

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 9 November 2026 |  JP Asia Desk

Evrensel reports that KHK TV journalist Ahmet Erkan Yiğitsözlü and platform spokesperson Münir Korkmaz were detained in Turkey. Authorities had not disclosed the reason, the newspaper said.

Summary

ANKARA — Turkish police detained KHK TV editor and journalist Ahmet Erkan Yiğitsözlü and KHK Platforms spokesperson Münir Korkmaz on November 9 in connection with an investigation in Osmaniye, according to local media reports. The reasons for their detention have not been publicly disclosed.

Yiğitsözlü was detained in Ankara and Korkmaz in Adana before reportedly being transferred to Osmaniye, where the investigation is being conducted. Turkish outlets Habere Güven and Velev reported the detentions, while Evrensel separately confirmed Korkmaz's detention as part of an investigation led by the Osmaniye Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

Investigation details remain unclear

There has been no publicly reported official explanation of the allegations against the two men or the scope of the investigation. It remains unclear whether the detentions are connected to their media activities or their involvement in campaigns supporting public employees dismissed under emergency decrees.

KHK TV reports on the experiences of public employees removed from their positions through government decrees, particularly following the failed coup attempt in July 2016. Yiğitsözlü, a former Anadolu Agency employee, works as an editor with the outlet, while Korkmaz has been involved in its broadcasting activities and campaigns for dismissed workers.

Earlier legal proceedings

Korkmaz, a former teacher and member of the Eğitim Sen education union, was dismissed under Decree Law No. 675 during the state of emergency. According to Evrensel, he helped establish the Adana KHK Platform in 2018 and has remained active in campaigns seeking the reinstatement of dismissed public employees.

Yiğitsözlü has previously faced legal proceedings. On October 15, 2024, Osmaniye's Second Heavy Penal Court sentenced him to six years and three months in prison on a charge of membership in an armed terrorist organization, according to the Media and Law Studies Association. Yiğitsözlü denied the allegation and sought acquittal. The current status of any appeal has not been established.

The association also documented Yiğitsözlü's detention in November 2022 and his release two days later. A separate detention in January 2025 was reported by Bold Medya and subsequently covered by the Stockholm Center for Freedom.

There is no verified evidence establishing a connection between those earlier cases and the November 9 detentions. The authorities have yet to clarify the allegations in the latest investigation.

ATTRIBUTION: Based on reporting by Habere Güven, Velev, and Evrensel, November 9, 2026. Background from the Media and Law Studies Association October 15, 2024 and the Stockholm Center for Freedom January 7, 2025.