5 months ago
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A Turkish tribunal sentenced a salient autarkic journalist, Fatih Altayli, to 4 years and 2 months successful situation connected Wednesday (November 26, 2025) implicit comments helium made astir President Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, State broadcaster TRT reported.
His condemnation comes amid a broader crackdown connected Turkish absorption figures implicit the past year, including the March jailing of Mr. Erdogan’s main rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who faces corruption charges helium denies.
Mr. Altayli, who has much than 1.5 cardinal YouTube subscribers, had been jailed pending proceedings successful June implicit the comments successful a societal media video astir a canvass that showed astir Turks opposed Mr. Erdogan ruling for life.
In the clip, Mr. Altayli – referencing Ottoman past – said Turks had “killed” oregon “drowned” rulers they nary longer wanted successful power. Mr. Erdogan’s aide, Oktay Saral, said astatine the clip that Mr. Altayli’s comments had “gone excessively far”.
The Istanbul tribunal said it was sentencing Mr. Altayli for “threatening the president” and that helium would stay successful jail, TRT reported.
At the hearing, Mr. Altayli denied the charge, saying helium did not mean to endanger Mr. Erdogan and demanding that helium beryllium acquitted, according to Turkish media reports.
Erinc Sagkan, Mr. Altayli’s lawyer and caput of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB), said the tribunal ruling was wholly “unlawful” and violated cardinal freedoms, adding that his lawsuit would entreaty the verdict.
The ruling is “an intimidation against the full property and could service arsenic a instrumentality for oppressing each dissenting voices,” Mr. Sagkan added, speaking to reporters extracurricular the courthouse.
Civil nine groups person agelong expressed concerns implicit curbs connected the media and escaped look successful Turkiye. Reporters Without Borders ranked it 158th retired of 180 countries successful its 2024 Press Freedom Index.
