On 10 March 2011, Osman Arslan, then a reporter for Cihan News Agency, filmed former National Intelligence Organisation (MİT) officer Kaşif Kozinoğlu arriving at Beşiktaş Courthouse, according to Turkish media reports. Kozinoğlu died in Silivri Prison on 12 November 2011. Cihan was closed by emergency decree in July 2016.
On 21 September 2026, the duty Sulh Ceza Hâkimliği in Silivri remanded Arslan in the reopened investigation into Kozinoğlu’s death. The Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said he was remanded for offences under Article 220/2 of the Turkish Penal Code, membership of a criminal organisation. Star reported the second remand offence as “disclosing prohibited information for purposes of political or military espionage”.
The investigation covers intentional killing, forming, leading or joining a criminal organisation, and violating Law No. 2937 on MİT. Former prison director Ömer Vatan and shift supervisor Kazım Beyke, detained with Arslan, were released under a travel ban.
Arslan is the second journalist remanded in the investigation. On 12 September, Selahattin Günday, a Doğan News Agency reporter in 2011, was remanded over the same courthouse coverage. His lawyers say he did not film the footage. They also say the MİT Law provision on which his detention rests, Article 27, was not in force in 2011. In his statement, Günday said the footage in question was Arslan’s. The Turkish Journalists’ Association called for Günday’s release, excluding Osman Arslan.
The Turkish Journalists’ Association (TGC), in its 15 September call for Günday’s release, cited a document in the case file indicating that the footage was first filmed by “another agency’s reporter” (başka bir ajans muhabiri), without naming Arslan; TGC has issued no statement on Arslan’s detention or remand.
With Arslan’s remand, seven people are in pre-trial detention in the investigation, according to SON TV.
Arslan filmed Kozinoğlu’s arrival at court on 10 March 2011. He was remanded on 21 September 2026 in the investigation into Kozinoğlu’s death.
Sources:
1- Sözcü18, quoting the Silivri Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, 21.09.2026. https://www.sozcu18.com/kasif-kozinoglu-sorusturmasinda-yeni-gelisme-1-tutuklama-2-adli-kontrol-karari-55660h.htm
2- Star, 21.09.2026. https://www.star.com.tr/guncel/kozinoglu-sorusturmasinda-osman-arslan-tutuklandi-haber-2041610/
3- SON TV, via ABC Hukuk, 21.09.2026. https://www.abchukuk.com/index.php/2026/09/21/kasif-kozinoglunun-adliye-goruntulerini-ceken-eski-gazeteci-osman-arslan-tutuklandi/
4- Karar, c. 15.09.2026. https://www.karar.com/guncel-haberler/15-yil-onceki-goruntu-nedeniyle-tutuklandi-tgcden-selahattin-gunday-2072075
5- Dicle Fırat Gazeteciler Derneği, c. 13.09.2026. https://www.diclefiratgazeteciler.org/haberler/gazeteci-selahattin-gunday-tutuklandi
6- TR724, 19.09.2026 and 21.09.2026. https://www.tr724.com/cihan-haber-ajansi-muhabiri-de-gozaltinda-kasif-kozinoglu-goruntulerinin-perde-arkasi/ and https://www.tr724.com/tek-sucu-gazetecilik-yapmakti-kozinoglunun-adliyeye-gelisini-ceken-eski-cihan-haber-ajansi-muhabiri-tutuklandi/
7- Emergency Decree No. 668, Official Gazette, 27.07.2016. https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2016/07/20160727M2-1.pdf
8- TGC Statement, 15.09.2026. https://tgc.org.tr/18-slider/5782
Legal Note:
Sabuncu and Others v. Turkey, no. 23199/17, 10 Nov 2020, and Ahmet Altan v. Turkey, no. 13237/17, 13 Apr 2021: pre-trial detention of journalists without reasonable suspicion violated Arts 5(1) and 10.
Gîrleanu v. Romania, no. 50376/09, 26 June 2018: a journalist prosecuted for sharing information about security operations. The Court found a violation of Art. 10. New to our list; verify before use.
ECHR Art. 7 (no punishment without law) is relevant to the argument that MİT Law Art. 27 postdates the 2011 conduct.
