CHP's Tanrıkulu Submits Inquiry to Minister Gürlek on Freedom of Expression and Judicial Processes

Freedom of Expression on the Parliamentary Agenda Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman Sezgin Tanrıkulu has submitted a comprehensive parliamentary inquiry to the Presidency of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) regarding freedom of expression and judicial practices in Turkey.
Judicial Processes and Statistics In his inquiry, Tanrıkulu specifically drew attention to proceedings carried out under the charge of "insulting the president." Additionally, the number of individuals against whom legal action was initiated for participating in protests and demonstrations in 2025 and 2026 was among the significant topics of the inquiry.
Access Bans and the Disinformation Law Addressing the access bans imposed on websites and news content, Tanrıkulu questioned the total number of bans and how many of these decisions were issued by criminal judgeships of peace.
He inquired whether there is a mechanism to audit the compliance of these decisions with the principles of proportionality and necessity, and requested information on the conversion rates of investigations into prosecutions regarding disinformation crimes.
Constitutional Guarantees and Legislative Amendments Tanrıkulu questioned the concrete measures taken by the Ministry to protect the freedom of expression and assembly guaranteed under Articles 26 and 34 of the Constitution.
He asked whether a legislative amendment is planned to ensure that expressions of critical thinking are not considered within the scope of crime.
The CHP Deputy Chairman also stated that he expects an explanation regarding the existence and content of an action plan prepared to prevent violations of freedom of expression.