Turkish journalist detained under disinformation law for reporting Musiala transfer to Galatasaray

Journalist detained over transfer report

Turkish sports journalist Burhan Can Terzi was detained by police on Monday, 10 August 2026, in front of his home in Istanbul on orders from the Bakırköy prosecutor's office. Police entered his residence, handcuffed him, and took him to the prosecutor's offices. He was investigated for "public dissemination of misleading information" after reporting on social media that Bayern Munich's Jamal Musiala was on the verge of transferring to Galatasaray Istanbul. Terzi, founder of the publication SportCell with over 30,000 Instagram subscribers, is an experienced journalist who has worked at various Turkish media outlets and is a known face on television. After spending several hours at the police station, he was released the same evening without restrictions at the prosecutor's request, following the rejection of his own request for release under judicial supervision.

Terzi had reported the story not once but twice, first presenting it as an exclusive and then reiterating it days later. He claimed an "agreement had been reached" with both Bayern Munich and the player himself, with only minor details still to be resolved.

Galatasaray's denial

Galatasaray had already denied the transfer rumors multiple times in July, calling the reports "absolutely untrue" and suggesting they were part of a campaign against the club's transfer activities. In a statement on the club's website, Galatasaray said the same people and media spreading the speculation had already disseminated similar unfounded claims the previous season. The club emphasized it conducts its transfer activities with great care and discretion and asked fans to rely only on official club statements.

“The claims that Jamal Musiala will transfer to Galatasaray are false and deliberately aimed at deceiving the public and discrediting the efforts of our club.”

First use of disinformation law in sports

The investigation was initiated after a complaint was filed. According to the independent Turkish news portal Bianet, this is the first case in which Turkey's 2022 disinformation law has been applied to sports reporting. The law, passed by the Turkish parliament in 2022, provides for up to three years of imprisonment for spreading "false information" when the author has the motive of causing alarm.

Terzi denied the accusations before the Bakırköy court, presenting his network of sources that he said corroborated the claim about Musiala's arrival.

“I do not recognize the accusations brought against me.”

Musiala's status and Terzi's history with Galatasaray

Jamal Musiala, 23, has played for Bayern Munich since 2020 and holds a contract with the Bundesliga club until June 2030. The German international is currently recovering from surgery on his left foot, injured in the summer of 2025, and on Monday resumed team training with Bayern for the first time since the World Cup.

This is not the first time Terzi has clashed with Galatasaray. According to Halk TV, he previously accused club president Dursun Özbek of winning the 2022 club elections against Esref Hamamcıoğlu only through the support of controversial former director Erden Timur. Timur was arrested in December 2025 on suspicion of betting fraud and match manipulation, spent six months in detention, and was released in June 2026 under judicial supervision while investigations continue.