04.11.2026 14:50
An indictment has been prepared against journalists Mustafa Balcı and Şaban Sevinç, who were arrested due to their posts about AK Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik. Balcı faces up to 10 years and 10 months in prison, and Sevinç up to 18 years, 11 months and 15 days, on charges of "publicly insulting a public official due to their duty," "defamation," and "publicly spreading misleading information to the public." The Istanbul 48th Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment and decided to continue their detention. The journalists will appear before a judge on November 27.
Due to their posts about the fund investigation, the indictment against journalists Mustafa Balcı and Şaban Sevinç, who have been detained since October 9, has been accepted by the court. In the indictment, AK Party Deputy Chairman and Spokesperson Ömer Çelik appears as the victim.
WHAT CHARGES ARE IN THE INDICTMENT?
In the indictment prepared on November 2 by the Press Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it is sought that Mustafa Balcı be sentenced to 3 years 8 months to 10 years 10 months for the crimes of “publicly insulting a public official because of his duty,” “defamation,” and “publicly spreading misleading information to the public”; and for Şaban Sevinç, on the same charges, in a continuous manner, to 4 years 7 months to 18 years 11 months 15 days in prison. The prosecutor's office also requested that the journalists be deprived of the exercise of certain rights.
PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE: NOT BASED ON CONCRETE INFORMATION AND DOCUMENTS
The indictment stated that the claims in the posts were not supported by concrete information and documents and that the victim was associated with people implicated in the fund investigation. The prosecutor's office argued that the posts created a perception in the public that the victim, by taking advantage of the influence provided by his position, engaged in unlawful activities. It was assessed that the posts were capable of creating anxiety among the direct victims of the fund investigation and disturbing public peace. The indictment also included that the Istanbul 1st Criminal Judgeship of Peace decided to block access and remove the content from publication regarding the posts.
BALCI: THE PHOTOGRAPH HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PUBLISHED BY NEWS AGENCIES
Sözcü reporter Mustafa Balcı, who said in his statement at the prosecutor's office that the X account belonged to him, stated that the photograph he shared had previously been published by DHA and AA and had also appeared on Limak Holding's social media accounts. Saying that he had confirmed from many different sources that the person in the photograph was Osman Arıkan Nacar, Balcı emphasized that he did not use definitive statements in his post and included the phrases “allegation” and “claimed.” Stating that he called Ömer Çelik many times over 3 days for confirmation but received no response, Balcı said he did not receive direction from anyone.
SEVİNÇ: MY SOURCES ARE WITHIN THE AK PARTY
Şaban Sevinç, in his statement, said that he did not feel the need to verify the post because Balcı was a journalist. Sevinç stated that he obtained the information in the video from sources he did not want to disclose and that these sources were within the AK Party. Sevinç, who stated that he did not have any documents and relied on his oral sources and therefore used the phrase “allegation” in the broadcast, argued that he made his posts within the scope of journalistic activity. Sevinç, who did not accept the accusations, requested that a decision of no grounds for prosecution be issued about him and that he be released.
DETENTION STATUS WILL CONTINUE
The Istanbul 48th Criminal Court of First Instance, which accepted the indictment, decided in its November 3 preliminary proceedings minute that the defendants' detention should continue, taking into account the nature of the crime, the stage of the trial, and the grounds for detention. The first hearing for the journalists, who are being held at Maltepe No. 2 L-Type Closed Penal Institution, will be held on November 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
Former bureaucrat Osman Arıkan Nacar, who was mentioned in the fund investigation and was said to be a fugitive abroad, came to the agenda at the beginning of October with the statements of New Party Chairman Özgür Özel. Özel had claimed that Nacar was vacationing with Ömer Çelik in Bodrum. New Party Spokesperson Zeynel Emre also asked Çelik whether he had vacationed with Nacar.
On October 8, Mustafa Balcı shared a photograph from a concert Limak organized in Bodrum showing Çelik and the person sitting behind him, alleged to be Nacar. Şaban Sevinç also quoted this post. After the posts, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation.
The two journalists, who were taken into custody on October 9, were arrested the same day on the charge of “publicly spreading misleading information to the public.” The journalists were first sent to Metris Prison and transferred to the prison in Maltepe the next day. Journalists İsmail Saymaz and Murat Ağırel, who were summoned to give statements as part of the same investigation, were first subjected to a travel ban abroad and an obligation to sign, and upon the prosecutor's office's objection, this measure was converted to house arrest.
Ömer Çelik, in a press conference held after the allegations, answered a question on the subject: “I don't understand the stock market business, and I have never had a stock market account.”