Turkish journalist could face minimum 5 years prison for Erdogan comments
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ANKARA – Turkish prosecutors have prepared an indictment seeking a prison sentence of at least five years for independent journalist Fatih Altayli over comments he made about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, state broadcaster TRT reported on July 16.
Altayli, who has more than 1.5 million YouTube subscribers, in June was jailed pending trial over the comments in a social media video about a poll that showed most Turks opposed Mr Erdogan ruling for life.
He denied the charge in a statement to the court before his arrest and said his comments had been taken out of context and were part of a rhetorical, historical discussion.
In the video, Altayli – referencing Ottoman history – said that Turks had “killed” or “drowned” rulers they no longer wanted in power. His remarks drew backlash from Erdogan aide Oktay Saral, who wrote on the social media platform that Altayli’s “water was boiling”.
The indictment accuses him of “threatening the President”, a charge that carries a minimum prison sentence of five years upon conviction, TRT said.
His arrest comes amid a broader crackdown on Turkish opposition figures in recent months, including the March detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Mr Erdogan’s main political rival. REUTERS
