Cevheri Güven

Cevheri Güven Turkish is an investigative journalist and writer. Güven, the former editor-in-chief of Nokta magazine, is an exiled journalist who immigrated due to increasing pressure in Turkey after July 15, 2016.^[1][2] He is known for his exposés on corruption, organized crime groups, and their ties within the state, published on his own YouTube channel and other digital platforms. Currently residing in Germany, Güven has become a target of the Erdoğan government due to his journalistic work in exile, and is facing terrorism charges due to alleged links to the Gülen movement. He was sentenced to 22 years and 6 months in prison in the Nokta magazine case.^[3] He has also been subject to lawsuits seeking hundreds of years in prison due to his reporting abroad in recent years.^[4]

After graduating from the Department of Journalism at Gazi University’s Faculty of Communication, Cevheri Güven began his journalism career in 1999 at the Ankara bureau of Star newspaper. In his early years, he worked as a photojournalist and education reporter before later transitioning to police reporting. His work primarily focused on security and crime-related issues within the Ministry of Interior.^[1][5]

In 2004, he served as the first editor-in-chief of the online news portal "Aktifhaber.com." In 2007, he became the correspondent for "Nokta" magazine in Ankara. The magazine soon ceased publication due to political and military pressure.^[1][5]

In 2009, he returned to Star newspaper and served as Ankara News Director, a position he held until early 2014.^[1]

The Recep Tayyip Erdoğan government faced a large-scale corruption investigation centered on Reza Zarrab between December 17–25, 2013.^[6][7] As a result of this operation, three ministers from Erdogan's government resigned.^[8] In the corruption investigation, the names of Erdoğan's family members^[9] and the minister's children^[10] were mentioned. It was also reported that $4.5 million in cash was found at the home of Halkbank General Manager Süleyman Aslan.^[11]

Then-Prime Minister Erdoğan described this operation as "a coup attempt orchestrated both domestically and internationally" and described the investigation as a conspiracy orchestrated by judicial and police officials allegedly affiliated with the Gülen Movement.^[12] Hundreds of prosecutors and police officers were dismissed in the process,^[13] and a large part of the investigation team was replaced.^[14]

Numerous journalists and media workers who labeled the incidents as corruption were dismissed from their posts as a result of pressure from the Erdoğan government.^[15] During this period, Cevheri Güven was working as News Director at the "Star" newspaper in Ankara He was dismissed in the first days of 2014.^[1][4][16]

On May 1, 2015, Nokta magazine resumed publication under the editor-in-chief of Cevheri Güven. The magazine, which adopted a critical publishing approach to government policies, quickly came under intense pressure from the Erdoğan government. Three issues of the magazine were seized in succession, and investigations were launched.^[4][17]

Following the November 1, 2015 general elections, "Nokta" magazine published an article with the headline "The Beginning of the Civil War in Turkey" showing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan taking selfies with the funerals of martyrs. The article "revealed the Erdoğan government's corruption and the renewed conflict created by the collapse of the peace process with the Kurds." On November 2, 2015, Güven and his editor-in-chief were detained on charges of "inciting the public to armed rebellion against the government" because of the issue's critical cover.^[18][19][20]

By a decision of the Istanbul 8th Criminal Court of Peace, Güven was arrested and sent to Silivri Prison. In the same decision, the relevant issue of Nokta magazine was seized, and access to the magazine’s website was blocked.^[21] Güven was in the same prison with well-known journalists such as Can Dündar and Erdem Gül during their detention,^[22] He was held in solitary cells in Silivri Prison; They were forbidden from meeting with each other or other detainees and were prevented from participating in any social gatherings.^[4] After approximately two months of detention, both journalists were released pending trial by the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court on December 29, 2015, with a travel ban imposed on them by the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court.^[23] The government's pressure on opposition media increased during the state of emergency declared after July 15, 2016. With the Statutory Decree dated July 27, 2016, "Nokta" magazine became one of the 130 magazines closed; All assets and trademark rights of the magazine were seized.^[3] Immediately after the closure, the magazine was linked to the coup attempt and an arrest warrant was issued for Güven.^[23] The court panel that had previously ruled for Güven’s release pending trial was dispersed; three judges and prosecutors were dismissed, and new appointments were made in their place^[4] In the case heard by the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court in May 2017, the court sentenced Cevheri Güven to 22 years and 6 months in prison for "inciting an armed rebellion against the government of the Republic of Turkey."^[23] According to the decision, the cover story of Nokta magazine and social media posts before and after the coup attempt were considered as an act of preparing the ground for a coup attempt linked to the Gülen Movement.^[24] Güven did not attend the hearing because he was in exile in Greece at the time of the sentence.^[24][25] The court also decided to seize back issues of Nokta magazine.^[20]

Increased pressure during the Erdoğan government period after July 15, 2016,^[26] serious human rights violations^[27] and the publicization of images of torture in prisons^[28] Cevheri Güven, for whom a new arrest warrant was issued by the court, stated that he was forced to leave Turkey with his wife and two children on a refugee boat via the Meriç River, which forms part of the border between Turkey and Greece.^[29] In subsequent statements, Güven said that there was no hope for a fair trial and that justice did not function in Türkiye. He also stated that even if a person is acquitted, they may be subjected to a new investigation before being released, and that he therefore had no choice but to leave the country.^[4][25]

Even after his arrival in Greece, pressure on Güven continued. While in Greece, he continued reporting on human rights violations in Türkiye. However, due to increasing security concerns, Greek authorities warned him to avoid train stations, bus terminals, and other crowded areas.^[4]

In late 2017, HDP MP Garo Paylan announced that an "assassination squad" targeting journalists and academics living in Europe had been established and that it was organized by a structure linked to the National Intelligence Organization (MIT).^[30] The "assassination list" claim in question has also been confirmed by German police authorities.^[31][32] Under security threat, Güven sought asylum with her family in Germany in 2017 and was granted refugee status. Güven has been living in Germany since 2017.^[22]

During his time in Germany, Güven continued his journalistic activities on online platforms. In 2017, together with other exiled journalists in Frankfurt, he pioneered the founding of an international journalists association called the International Journalists Association (IJA)^[33] and the international journalists association run under the umbrella of the IJA He participated in solidarity activities.^[34]

He also wrote columns for English-language diaspora news sites such as Turkish Minute and hosted programs on the online platform Bold Medya. In addition, a print magazine called "Journalist Post" has begun publication.^[33] In 2021, he testified on behalf of journalists under pressure at the international forum "Turkey Tribunal", held in Brussels, and conveyed to the international community the judicial harassment and threats he was subjected to.^[4] In 2023, he joined an international investigative journalism team within the OCCRP and contributed to a cross-border investigation into illegal betting and money laundering networks.^[35]

Güven also covers politics, intelligence, and organized crime in Turkey through his investigative journalism publications on YouTube. While these publications were considered important in terms of criticism of the government by some circles, they also caused debates in various media circles.^[36][5]

Güven's journalistic activities in exile were closely monitored by the Erdoğan government and its supporters; He has been the target of various pressure, threats, and censorship attempts.^[37]

In September 2022, the newspaper "Sabah" published a headline directly targeting Güven.^[38] Secretly taken photos of Güven walking on the street in Germany with a plastic bag in his hand were printed on the front page of the newspaper and his full address was disclosed; thus, Güven became a target in front of the public.^[39] Following Güven’s complaint, three employees of the Sabah newspaper were detained by German authorities in May 2023 for harassing Turkish exile journalists, including Güven, and disclosing their personal data without permission. They were questioned on charges of “dangerously disseminating personal data” as part of the investigation.^[40] Following these incidents, Güven’s name was also on the “death lists” allegedly prepared by Turkish intelligence units to target dissidents abroad, and he was placed under 24-hour protection by the German police.^[41]

In October 2024, approximately 400 journalists, activists, and media organizations, including Güven's account, had their accounts blocked or suspended in Türkiye.^[42] It has been reported that most of these accounts were closed due to their posts criticizing the government and that the decision was taken on the grounds of "national security." Similarly, it is alleged that Güven's content is also being censored on YouTube. At a panel held in Geneva in March 2025, an example was shared of how more than 250 videos on Güven’s channel were blocked in a single day, erasing years of journalistic work from the digital environment.^[43][44]

• 1999–2004: Star newspaper (Ankara bureau)
• 2004–2007: Aktifhaber.com (founding editor)
• 2007–2009: Nokta magazine (Ankara correspondent)
• 2009–2014: Star newspaper (Ankara news editor)
• 2015–2016: Nokta magazine (Editor-in-chief)
• 2020–present: The Journalist Post (Contributor, columnist)

• Participant in Turkey Tribunal hearings as a witness (2021)^[45] * Interview with Euronews Greece about exile and press freedom in Europe (2022)^[46]
• Featured in the documentary Ben Hücredeyken (“While I Was in the Cell”), recounting his imprisonment and experiences in Turkey (2023)^[47]

• Bal Tuzağı (The Honey Trap)^[48]

• List of arrested journalists in Turkey
• Press freedom in Turkey

• Official website
• Twitter account
• YouTube channel