Tamar Tanrıyar, Whose Social Media Posts Became Agenda, Released with Judicial Control

Tamar Tanrıyar, for whom an ex officio investigation was launched due to the broadcasts and posts she made on social media platforms, was detained on a cruise ship in Kuşadası. In a statement made by the police, it was shared that Tanrıyar surrendered to security forces and would subsequently be brought to İstanbul. In a statement regarding the matter from the İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı, it was emphasized that the suspect came and surrendered voluntarily from abroad. The Başsavcılık also announced to the public that an arrest warrant had been previously issued for Tamar Tanrıyar and that the investigation procedures were continuing with great meticulousness. This development came to the agenda at a time when the number of people facing legal action due to their social media posts has been increasing recently.

In the ongoing legal process, it was decided to take Tanrıyar's statement via SEGBİS (Audio and Video Informatics System). As the court process continued, it was reported that she was charged with the crime of "publicly disseminating misleading information." The Sulh Ceza Hakimliği, to which she was referred, evaluated the arrest request and ruled to apply judicial control measures. As a result of this decision, Tamar Tanrıyar was released under judicial control conditions. In additional statements made by the Başsavcılık, it was stated that all digital materials in the suspect's possession, which could serve as evidence within the scope of the investigation, were confiscated.

Looking at the background of the incident, it is seen that Tamar Tanrıyar targeted pro-government organizations in a broadcast she made on her YouTube channel. In the said broadcast, Tanrıyar used highly assertive statements, particularly directed at the Turkuvaz Medya Grubu. Reminding that the media group, owned by Serhat Albayrak, the brother of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's son-in-law Berat Albayrak, also undertook the distribution operations of Sözcü newspaper, Tanrıyar gave a harsh ultimatum to the institutions. Stating that she warned the officials during the broadcast, Tanrıyar expressed that these ties should be cut immediately, otherwise, the deadline was 1 Temmuz. These words quickly found wide resonance on social media and among journalists, becoming a major subject of debate.

Following the rapid spread of the said broadcast in the national media and social networks, the İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı took immediate action. The prosecutors decided to launch an ex officio investigation against Tanrıyar on the charges of both "insulting the President" and "publicly disseminating misleading information." As the first step within the scope of the investigation, necessary legal procedures were initiated to apprehend Tanrıyar, for whom an arrest and detention warrant was issued, in case she left the country. As a result of intelligence and security units' research, it was determined that the suspect left Turkey using the Marmaris Deniz Hudut Kapısı on 23 Haziran. Following this determination, security forces put into action various operational steps for the extradition or voluntary surrender of the suspect.

All these events have gone down in history as a significant incident that once again brought the legal and political dimensions of social media in Turkey to the agenda. The fact that statements and threats made on digital platforms can quickly turn into a legal process reveals the fine line between freedom of expression and the intervention limits of state authorities. The legal process, which began after Tanrıyar's voluntary surrender, continuing with the examination of digital materials, shows how intertwined the technological and legal dimensions of the incident are. Although she was released under judicial control conditions, the legal processes against the suspect will continue until the investigation is concluded. In such cases, the collection of evidence and the acceptance of digital content as forensic evidence may set a precedent for similar legal battles in the future.