Turkish journalist detained after controversial remarks on Turkish Armed Forces

A prosecutor in Istanbul has launched an investigation into one of the most popular journalist’s with an active YouTube channel of 500,000 subscribers, Ozlem Gurses, after she made controversial remarks comparing the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) to the terror group Daesh in a video posted on her YouTube channel.

Authorities issued a detention order for Gurses, and she was promptly apprehended. The investigation is ongoing, with Gurses facing potential legal consequences for her statements.

In the video, while referring to a map of Syria, Gurses stated, “As you can see, the Daesh structure, that is, the TAF-SNA structure.” Her comments sparked outrage, leading the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to launch a probe following her words, which it deemed an insult to the Turkish military

Despite Türkiye being one of the key nations actively fighting Daesh in both its borders and in neighboring regions, her remarks also included a suggestion that the structure of the Turkish Armed Forces, along with SNA, had made “small gains” in regions populated by Kurds.

The prosecutor’s office announced that Gurses would face charges for “insulting state institutions and organizations” and “disseminating misleading information to the public.” It was alleged that her comments portrayed the Turkish military as akin to a terrorist group, accusing it of engaging in activities similar to those of Daesh and other terrorist organizations.