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Pro-opposition journalist Baris Terkoglu has been detained following a video report he shared regarding the ongoing high-profile drug investigation.
Terkoglu had recently commented on the case involving Haberturk Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Akif Ersoy, who was arrested on drug and sexual harassment charges.
In his video, Terkoglu revealed that police had raided a secret nightclub named "Library" (Kutuphane) mentioned in the case files and that a public prosecutor was found inside the venue during the raid, which caused outrage among some Turkish citizens.
Following the initial report, Terkoglu stated that officials from the justice ministry contacted him and that an investigation had been launched against the prosecutor caught at the club.
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The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, in its statement regarding Terkoglu's detention, stated, "An investigation has been initiated against suspect Baris Terkoglu pursuant to Article 217/a of the Turkish Penal Code for the crime of 'publicly disseminating misleading information,' and in accordance with our instructions, the suspect has been taken into custody by the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command."
His colleague and program partner, Baris Pehlivan, reacted sharply on social media, linking it directly to the news report.
"Shame on them! My friend, journalist Baris Terkoglu, has been taken into custody," Pehlivan wrote. "The reason is the news video published last night."
Pehlivan noted that the prosecutor's office had verified the news itself, yet still proceeded against the journalist.
The detention is part of a widening scandal initiated by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office. The operation initially targeted celebrities, presenters, and influencers for drug use, leading to the arrest of Mehmet Akif Ersoy.
Fenerbahce President Saadettin Saran was also detained after his name appeared in statements. Saran, whose drug test returned positive, was released under judicial control measures on Thursday.
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