Journalist Cem Küçük arrested: declared monthly income of 43,000 TL, stayed at hotel costing 100,000 TL per night

Journalist Cem Küçük was remanded in custody by court on July 30, 2026, following his detention on charges of 'openly disseminating misleading information to the public' and 'extortion.' According to reporting by Sözcü Newspaper, Küçük stated during prosecutor questioning that he did not wish to provide the password to his mobile phone.

The allegation that led to his remand is based on statements he made in various publications about İBB Sports Director Fatih Keleş, specifically the claim that "2 million dollars in cash was found at his home." During questioning, Küçük explained that he used this information based on a report published in another newspaper, and that he apologized when he discovered the report was inaccurate.

In his statement to prosecutors, Küçük declared his total monthly income as 43,600 TL, yet it emerged that he had stayed at a hotel where nightly rates reached 100,000 TL. According to TÜRK-İŞ data from July 2026, the monthly living cost for an unmarried worker was set at 47,758 TL, while the hunger threshold was determined at 36,940 TL.