A Turkish football journalist was arrested by police after reporting an inaccurate transfer rumour. Burhan Can Terzi claimed that Galatasaray were close to signing Bayern Munich and Germany star Jamal Musiala. Haberler reported that he was detained by order of the Bakırkoy chief public prosecutor’s office on charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information.”
Anti-disinformation Law
The charges were made under the country’s 2022 anti-disinformation law, which introduced criminal penalties for sharing information deemed false if authorities claim it incites fear or unrest. The Sun reports that Terzi became the first sports journalist to be detained under these allegations in an unprecedented situation.
Terzi was released a few hours later, with Greek outlet Gazzetta stating that he was allowed to leave without any subsequent restrictions. Following his release, Terzi stood by his claims regarding Galatasaray’s alleged move for Musiala.
Club Statement
The journalist had reported last month that Musiala had “largely agreed” to join the Turkish side. This led Galatasaray to issue a public statement, denying the transfer story. The club statement read: “Recently, the need to inform the public about our club has been deliberately circulated and does not reflect the truth. The allegations that professional football player Jamal Musiala will transfer to Galatasaray are untrue.
“Keeping these allegations, which are clearly unreal, on the agenda; it is an effort to create a perception aimed at misleading the public and discrediting the transfer efforts of our club. It is noteworthy that the people and media who own these speculations came to the public with similar unreal claims last season.
“Galatasaray carry out transfer activities with great meticulousness and confidentiality in line with the interests of our club. Unreal news and speculative claims will not change the working principles and goals of our club.
“We kindly request that the public and the great Galatasaray fans take only the official statements of our club as a basis, not to respect the news and speculations that do not reflect the truth, the people and media that persistently put them into circulation.”
Journalist's Response
Musiala joined Bayern Munich’s academy from Chelsea in 2020. The 23-year-old has since made 231 appearances for the German club, winning six Bundesliga titles.
After Terzi was released, his statement was relayed by Turkish journalist Burak Dogan. Terzi publicly shared his sources regarding Musiala’s proposed move to Galatasaray and stood by his actions. He said: “I did not act with intent to commit a crime. I do not accept the accusation against me. Additionally, I would like to state that I reserve all my legal rights regarding the person who filed a complaint against me in this matter and caused me harm.”
