Sözcü columnist Saymaz joins live broadcast under house arrest; two colleagues held in Metris

Sözcü Newspaper columnist İsmail Saymaz, placed under house arrest with an electronic ankle bracelet, appeared on Sözcü TV from home; the investigation was triggered by a social-media post showing that Osman Arıkan Nacar — allegedly on the run after absconding with public funds — was in the same venue as AKP Spokesperson Ömer Çelik at an August 22 concert in Bodrum.

Sözcü.com.tr editor Mustafa Balcı and journalist Şaban Sevinç were arrested on October 9 following the post in question and transferred to Metris Prison. Sözcü TV host Murat Ağırel, like Saymaz, was initially released under judicial supervision, but was subsequently placed under house arrest after the prosecutor challenged that ruling.

Saymaz stressed on air that he accepted the situation for what it is, but had no intention of casting it as an act of bravery: "Journalism is not a performance art," he said.

The case lands Sözcü squarely in a familiar spotlight of judicial pressure — one the newspaper has faced before at heavy cost. In 2017, two of its executives were detained in an operation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on allegations of links to terrorism, a process that dragged on for years. Sözcü reported the latest developments through its own pages.