--- title: "Journalist İrem Delice jailed in Turkey over 'Erdoğan died' report" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/journalist-irem-delice-jailed-in-turkey-over-erdogan-died-report" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/journalist-irem-delice-jailed-in-turkey-over-erdogan-died-report" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/journalist-irem-delice-jailed-in-turkey-over-erdogan-died-report.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/journalist-irem-delice-jailed-in-turkey-over-erdogan-died-report" category: "Politics" published: "2026-09-04T22:05:41.998Z" source_reported: "2026-09-02T13:41:43.000Z" updated: "2026-09-04T22:05:41.998Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 65 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-04T14:34:04.745Z" --- # Journalist İrem Delice jailed in Turkey over 'Erdoğan died' report *İrem Delice was arrested on August 28, 2026, on suspicion of spreading disinformation.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to named bodies, with two independent outlets and a document cited. - Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Reports quote affected parties and name specific individuals and locations. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Language is measured and proportionate, with no sensationalism or manufactured urgency. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Journalist İrem Delice was arrested in Turkey on August 28, 2026, on suspicion of spreading disinformation. - The charges relate to a social media post by Aydın Denge newspaper with the headline 'Erdoğan passed away,' which referred to a local woman named Gülşen Erdoğan. - Delice and three other Aydın Denge staff were initially released under judicial control but Delice was later imprisoned after a prosecution appeal. - The Committee to Protect Journalists stated that Turkey's disinformation law is being used to criminalise journalism. Journalist İrem Delice was arrested in Turkey on August 28, 2026, on suspicion of spreading disinformation. The charges stem from a social media post by Aydın Denge newspaper with the headline 'Erdoğan passed away,' which referred to a local woman named Gülşen Erdoğan. Delice and three other staff members from Aydın Denge were initially released under judicial control but Delice was later imprisoned after a prosecution appeal. ## Disagreement on initial release The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that Delice and three other staff members were taken into police custody on August 26 and a court released the four pending investigation under judicial control on the same day. Haberler stated that Delice was released under judicial supervision in the investigation launched over the social media post. Cumhuriyet reported that Emin Aydın, Yeşim Ülker, and İrem Delice were released under judicial control by the duty judge of the criminal court of peace to which they were referred after their detention procedures in the police. However, stockholmcf.org, Bianet, Halk TV, and sesgazete.net all state that Delice was arrested after prosecutors appealed her earlier release, without detailing the initial release conditions. ## What the coverage left out None of the left or centre-rated reports below mention the Committee to Protect Journalists's statement that at least 83 journalists have been charged 114 times over disinformation since the law came into force in 2022. ## Who covered it Shares of the 2 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (1) - Centre: 50% (1) - Right: 0% (0) 9 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-04T14:34:04.745Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-04T22:15:34.275Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Cumhuriyet, rated left, led on the journalist's arrest following a prosecutor's appeal. It reported that İrem Delice was initially released under judicial control but was later arrested after the Aydın Chief Public Prosecutor's Office appealed the decision. The report also mentioned that the investigation was launched after Aydın Denge newspaper shared a social media post with the headline 'Erdoğan passed away.' The outlet included related news items about the initial detention and release of the four journalists and a statement from the İzmir Journalists Association. ### Centre - The Committee to Protect Journalists, rated centre, led on the arrest of journalist İrem Delice and called for her immediate release. It stated that Turkish authorities should repeal the disinformation law, which it claims is being used to criminalise journalism. The report detailed that Delice and three other staff members from Aydın Denge were arrested on August 26 and later released under judicial control, but Delice was subsequently imprisoned after a prosecution appeal. The outlet quoted CPJ's Turkey representative, Özgür Öğret, and Aydın Denge publisher Emin Aydın, who stated there was no intention to insult the president or spread false information. ### Right No separate framing summary. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 2 - unknown: 9 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Новое Время](https://english.nv.ua/life/turkish-outlet-faces-probe-after-publishing-false-message-claiming-erdogan-is-dead-50635758.html) — Local newspaper sparks outrage in Turkey after social media post claims Erdoğan is dead - [journalisten.se](https://journalisten.se/nyheter/turkisk-journalist-fangslad-for-rubrik-med-presidentens-efternamn) — Turkish journalist jailed for headline with president's last name - Journalisten - [anf-news.com](https://english.anf-news.com/freedom-of-the-press/dfg-pressure-and-legal-proceedings-against-journalists-continued-in-august-87053) — DFG: Pressure and legal proceedings against journalists continued in August - [turkishminute.com](https://turkishminute.com/2026/09/03/cpj-calls-for-release-of-turkish-journalist-jailed-over-erdogan-passed-away-post) — CPJ calls for release of Turkish journalist jailed over ‘Erdoğan passed away’ post - Turkish Minute - [Committee to Protect Journalists](https://cpj.org/2026/09/journalist-irem-delice-arrested-in-turkey-on-suspicion-of-spreading-disinformation) — Journalist İrem Delice arrested in Turkey on suspicion of ‘spreading disinformation’ - [stockholmcf.org](https://stockholmcf.org/turkish-journalist-arrested-in-erdogan-died-social-media-post-investigation) — Turkish journalist arrested in ‘Erdoğan died’ social media post investigation - Stockholm Center for Freedom - [Bianet - Bagimsiz Iletisim Agi](https://bianet.org/haber/aydin-da-erdogan-vefat-etti-haberine-tutuklama-322928) — Arrests made in Aydın over news report of "Erdoğan has passed away". - [Halk TV](https://halktv.com.tr/turkiye/erdogan-vefat-etti-paylasimi-sorusturmasinda-gazeteci-savcilik-itiraziyla-tutuklandi-1051678h) — In the Investigation Into the "Erdoğan Has Passed Away" Social Media Post, the Journalist Was Arrested Following an Appeal by the Prosecutor's Office. - [Cumhuriyet](https://cumhuriyet.com.tr/siyaset/erdogan-vefat-etti-sorusturmasi-serbest-birakilan-gazeteci-itiraz-uzerine-tutuklandi-2533161) — 'Erdogan died' investigation: Journalist released then arrested again following appeal - Breaking Political News - [sesgazete.net](https://sesgazete.net/aydinda-erdogan-vefat-etti-paylasimi-yapan-gazeteci-tutuklandi) — A journalist in Aydın was arrested for posting a message saying "Erdoğan has passed away." - [Haberler](https://en.haberler.com/after-president-erdogan-s-claim-he-was-first-2305457) — After President Erdogan's claim, he was first released and then arrested. ## Questions **Why was journalist İrem Delice arrested in Turkey?** Journalist İrem Delice was arrested on suspicion of spreading disinformation. The charges relate to a social media post by her newspaper, Aydın Denge, with the headline 'Erdoğan passed away,' which referred to a local woman named Gülşen Erdoğan. **What happened after İrem Delice was initially released?** After being initially released under judicial control along with three other staff members from Aydın Denge, İrem Delice was later imprisoned following an appeal by the prosecution. **What is the Committee to Protect Journalists's stance on the situation?** The Committee to Protect Journalists called for İrem Delice's immediate release and the repeal of Turkey's disinformation law, stating it is being used to criminalise journalism. They quoted Delice's publisher, Emin Aydın, who denied any intention to insult the president or spread false information. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/journalist-irem-delice-jailed-in-turkey-over-erdogan-died-report. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Journalist İrem Delice jailed in Turkey over 'Erdoğan died' report", https://mediabias.news/politics/journalist-irem-delice-jailed-in-turkey-over-erdogan-died-report