Prominent independent journalist Fatih Altayli was commenting on a poll suggesting most Turks did not want the ruler of 22 years to stay in office for life. His arrest comes amid a broader crackdown on dissenting
Prominent independent journalist Fatih Altayli was commenting on a poll suggesting most Turks did not want the ruler of 22 years to stay in office for life. His arrest comes amid a broader crackdown on dissenting voices.
Fatih Altayli works independently in a country that has systematically shuttered most critical media outlets in recent yearsImage: ANKA
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A court in Turkey on Wednesday sentenced independent journalist Fatih Altayli to four years and two months in prison over comments he made about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, state broadcaster TRT and an NGO representing the journalist reported.
Altayli’s conviction comes amid a more general crackdown on opposition figures over the past year in Turkey, most notably including the jailing of arguably Erdogan’s main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, in March. Imamoglu was sentenced on corruption charges he denies.
What comments from Altayli led to the prosecution?
Altayli, who has more than 1.5 million subscribers on YouTube, in a country where the vast majority of media is considered sympathetic to the government, was commenting on a poll suggesting that around 70% of Turks opposed the idea of Erdogan being president for life.
Erdogan has been president since 2014 and is in his third term, but he was prime minister for another 11 years prior to this, altering Turkey’s constitution to place more power with the presidency prior to switching roles. In the clip, Altayli referenced Ottoman Empire history, noting how several sultans who were no longer wanted in power had been killed.
“Look at the distant past: This is a nation that has strangled its sultans when it didn’t like them or want them… There are many Ottoman sultans who were strangled, assassinated or allegedly committed suicide,” the 63-year-old said.
Erdogan’s aide Oktay Saral said at the time that the comments had “gone too far.”
