In February 2026, Turkish political scientist Emrah Gülsunar—who had faced criminal charges in apparent connection with his scholarly work—was acquitted at the third hearing of his case before the Istanbul 51st Criminal Court of First Instance on the grounds that his actions did not constitute a crime under Turkish law.

Dr. Gülsunar holds graduate degrees in political science and economic history, and his research focuses on political systems and institutional change. In October 2025, he was arrested after posting a poll on social media asking whether seeking foreign help to overthrow a dictatorial regime is legitimate or illegitimate. Although the poll was published in the context of international debate following the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, Dr. Gülsunar was targeted in an online campaign that accused him of encouraging a coup at home. Shortly thereafter, he was formally charged with public incitement to commit a crime through the press. In November, at the first hearing of his trial, Dr. Gülsunar reportedly testified that the poll did not refer to Türkiye but rather to Venezuela and was directly related to his scholarly work as a political scientist. At the end of the hearing, the court ordered his release on condition that he remain in Türkiye pending the outcome of his trial.