Journalist arrested for false report on Bayern Munich star's transfer

Turkish journalist Burhan Can Terzi was unexpectedly detained by police after reporting that Galatasaray is close to signing Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala.

According to the Haberler website, Terzi was arrested by order of the chief prosecutor of the Bakirkoy district. This is the first prominent arrest of a sports journalist in Turkey on such charges. However, the journalist was released after just a few hours, with no restrictions imposed on him.

On July 26, Terzi reported that Galatasaray is "very close to an agreement" with the 23-year-old Musiala, but the Istanbul club issued a statement in which it strongly denied the claims:

"It is necessary to clarify to the public that the reports being intentionally circulated regarding our club's transfers do not reflect the truth. The claims that Jamal Musiala will move to Galatasaray are incorrect, and they create a perception aimed at misleading the public and harming the club's efforts to strengthen the squad."

"It is worth noting that the same individuals and media outlets that spread these speculations appear in the media with unrealistic statements, similar to those published last season. Galatasaray conducts negotiations for player transfers with great caution and confidentiality. False news and speculative statements will not change the club's working principles and goals."

According to NTV, Terzi continued to stand by the information he published and insisted that his reports regarding Musiala and Galatasaray were based on reliable sources.

Terzi's journalism career began after he graduated from Istanbul University with a degree in journalism. He started working at Fotospor in 2009, then served as an editor and assistant manager of the sports department at Gunes, and later moved to Aksam.

After that, he also moved to television and participated in football programs on TGRT and BenguTurk. He is also one of the founders of Sportcell Media, which covered Galatasaray for years.

According to Halk TV, Terzi also clashed with the Turkish champion last year when he claimed that the club's president, Dursun Ozbek, would have lost the 2022 elections to Esref Hamamcioglu if not for the former and controversial manager Erden Timur. That same Timur was arrested in December as part of an extensive investigation into suspected gambling and match-fixing in Turkish football. The former Galatasaray official was imprisoned for six months, and in June was released under judicial supervision while the investigation continues.