04.08.2026 18:40
Within the scope of the Cem Küçük investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, Beyaz TV programmer Tahir Sarıkaya was referred to the criminal judgeship of peace with a request for arrest.
The investigation into journalist Cem Küçük, who was arrested on charges of 'publicly spreading misleading information' and 'blackmail', continues.
JOURNALIST TAHİR SARIKAYA ALSO DETAINED
Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, journalist Tahir Sarıkaya was also detained by the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command KOM Branch.
It was determined that there were high-amount money inflows and transfers of unknown origin in Sarıkaya's accounts, and that some of these transfers were transferred to crypto accounts.
REQUEST FOR ARREST
Sarıkaya was brought to the courthouse today after the completion of his procedures at the gendarmerie. After his statement was taken at the prosecutor's office, Sarıkaya was referred to the criminal judgeship with a request for arrest.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Journalist Cem Küçük, who was detained within the scope of the investigation conducted against him on charges of 'publicly spreading misleading information' and 'blackmail', had been arrested on both charges.
In the prosecutor's referral document, it was stated that Küçük made evaluations about Fatih Keleş, who is imprisoned within the scope of a separate investigation, in live broadcasts he attended on different dates.
The investigation file also included the secret witness's claims that Cem Küçük made publications in favor or against for money, received money through Tahir Sarıkaya, and exerted pressure through broadcasts. Küçük, in his statement to the prosecutor's office, rejected all these claims and argued that they were slanderous.
The prosecutor's office also brought up that there was a total of 537,800 liras in money movements between journalist Tahir Sarıkaya and Cem Küçük in 27 separate transactions. Küçük, stating that he had no commercial partnership with Sarıkaya, first explained the money transfers with a past debt relationship.
Küçük, when later asked about the secret witness's claim that 'Tahir Sarıkaya runs Cem Küçük's money affairs', said this time that the transfers in question stemmed from 'receivables-payables matters or organization fees'. However, he did not present any documents regarding which organization or which debt they pertained to.
WHO IS TAHİR SARIKAYA?
Tahir Sarıkaya was born on December 15, 1980, in the Şereflikoçhisar district of Ankara. He graduated from Gazi University Faculty of Communications. Sarıkaya started his journalism career as a reporter at İHA in 2004 and worked there until 2011. In the same period, Sarıkaya also held various positions within TGRT. Then, turning to television presenting, Sarıkaya started hosting the program named 'Uyan Türkiyem' broadcast on Beyaz TV as of 2012.