Turkish Journalist Detained For Allegedly Criticizing President Erdogan

Turkish Journalist Detained For Allegedly Criticizing President Erdogan

Sedef Kabas, a well-known Turkish journalist, was detained in the early hours of Saturday morning for allegedly disparaging the country’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s court-ordered detention, and a court-ordered her to remain in jail until a trial.

Kabas’ lawyer, Ugur Poyraz, said the “illegal” judgment would be appealed on Monday, January 24.

Poyraz said;

“We hope Turkey can return to rule of law soon.”

The alleged insult came in the guise of a palace-related proverb, which Kabas shared on an opposition television channel as well as on her Twitter account, prompting government officials to criticize her.

Kabas avoided mentioning Erdogan by name. The authorities, on the other hand, take issue with a proverb she uttered during a Tele1 television broadcast and later tweeted.

“The bull does not become a king when he arrives at the palace,” Kabas explained. “However, the castle transforms into a farm.”

Kabas was described as “immoral” and “irresponsible” by Erdogan spokesperson Fahrettin Altun. “The honor of the presidency’s office is the honor of our country,” he added, “and I detest the disgusting insults directed at our president and his office.”

Abdulhamit Gul, Turkey’s justice minister, said on Twitter that Kabas will “receive what she deserves” for her “illegal” words.

Meanwhile, Tele1 has been investigated by the country’s television regulator, RTUK, for “unacceptable statements attacking our president.”

Merdan Yanardag, the chief editor of Tele1, slammed the arrest. He started

Read More: Nigerians, Ghanaian, Nigeriens In NDLEA Net Over Illicit Drugs

“It’s inexcusable that she was detained overnight at 2 a.m. over a proverb.

“This posture is intended to frighten journalists, the media, and the general public.”

 

In Turkey, insulting the president is punishable by a one- to a four-year prison sentence. There have been 35,507 cases of insulting the president since Erdogan took office in 2014, with 12,881 convictions.

Kansas had previously been charged for criticizing a government-appointed judge who dismissed a corruption investigation into Erdogan and other politicians on social media. She was eventually liberated.