Turkey: Almost 2,000 Court Cases Opened in 18-months for ’Insulting’ Erdogan

Local Editor

Around 2,000 legal cases were opened in Turkey for insulting Recep Tayyip Erdogan, since he became president 18 months ago.

Under the Turkish law, mocking the president carries a maximum of four years in jail with schoolchildren and journalists amongst those arrested.

The revelations were made by Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, who said the ministry allowed 1,845 cases on charges of insulting Erdogan to proceed.

However, before Erdogan became president in August, 2014, the law was rarely invoked. Those critical of the president said he is using the legislation to crack down on dissent.

In February, a 13-year-old boy was briefly detained on charges of "insulting" the president on Facebook. The teen's social media page had been under surveillance by police.

His family's house was raided by anti-terror teams on February 25, following a tip-off from "a secret witness," who claimed the boy insulted Erdogan in a comment he allegedly posted below a video on Facebook.

In late October, two boys aged 12 and 13 were arrested and are facing up to four years in prison for ripping up Erdogan's posters.

It would also seem that criticizing Erdogan in the privacy of one's own home is also illegal. Last month, a 40-year-old man filed a legal complaint against his own wife for insulting Erdogan.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team