Journalist Fatma Sibel Gürcihan arrested and detained over posts about Berat Albayrak

Journalist Fatma Sibel Gürcihan has been arrested and formally detained following social media posts critical of Berat Albayrak, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's son-in-law and former Treasury and Finance Minister. Gürcihan was taken into custody and, after completing procedures at the Security Branch Directorate, was brought before the court. A decision was made to detain her pending further investigation.

The posts in question involved Gürcihan quoting Albayrak from an interview where he stated, "They call me 'son-in-law' to belittle me. Being the son-in-law of one of the most important leaders in Turkish Islamic history is an honor for me. My relationship (with Erdoğan) is a cause relationship."

In response to Albayrak's remarks, Gürcihan had made several allegations against him. She claimed, "They beat you in the garden of the Kısıklı mansion, sir. Even your bodyguard, who was trying to do his job, received kicks and punches. What kind of a 'cause' was this? Do you really need to be suffocated like Damat İbrahim Pasha to accept that you are ostracized from the family?" Following these posts, she was detained.

After her detention and processing at the police department, Gürcihan was transferred to court, which ordered her imprisonment. The case highlights the legal scrutiny journalists face in Turkey when commenting on or criticizing public figures, particularly those closely associated with the government.