Four media workers and a municipal employee were detained for four days in Türkiye after reporting on activity near the US owned İncirlik Air Base in the country’s south.
Kenan Şener, Editor-in-Chief of ANKA News Agency, Koza TV reporter Sergen Ölçer, Koza TV General Manager Mehlika Bilen, and Adana Metropolitan Municipality employee Güral Bıçakçı were taken into custody following a live broadcast conducted near the base. The footage, shared on ANKA’s social media account under the headline “Operational activity at İncirlik Air Base,” showed movement in the vicinity of the base after the start of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.
All four were held in detention for four days before being released under judicial control measures. The court imposed a weekly reporting requirement and a ban on international travel.
The footage in question was filmed from outside the base. Despite publicly condemning the US and Israeli attacks, the Erdoğan government moved swiftly against those who documented activity near the American military facility.
Critics argue that the government is seeking to avoid tension with President Donald Trump, while maintaining a public stance critical of US and Israeli actions. They also point to previous instances in which the government condemned Israel and declared support for Palestine, even as trade relations with Israel reportedly continued.