BirGün writer Zafer Arapkirli began standing trial at Istanbul 60th Criminal Court of First Instance on charges of “insulting the president” due to a social media post. The case was opened following a complaint filed by journalist Cem Küçük on X. In his defense, Arapkirli stated that the case was political, saying, “There is a complaint here, but there is no crime.” His lawyers said that the file contained a note believed to belong to the prosecutor that read, “The crime is very far-fetched, should we take a statement?” and that this note was removed from the file when it was noticed. The lawyers argued that Article 299 of the Turkish Criminal Code contradicts the political system and that the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is also in this direction. The court accepted the request of President Erdoğan’s lawyer to participate. The hearing was postponed to January 13.
November 25, 2025
MLSA