Turkey: Boy Accused of Insulting President Is Arrested
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Version 0 of 1. A teenager was detained by the police after being accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish media reports said. The newspaper Hurriyet reported that the 16-year-old high-school student, identified only by his initials M.E.A., had been arrested Wednesday in Konya after making a speech at a student protest a day earlier. The boy reportedly said that Mr. Erdogan was regarded as the “thieving owner of the illegal palace,” a reference to a government corruption scandal and a new palace Mr. Erdogan opened in October. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu defended the arrest on Thursday, saying that “the presidential office needs to be shown respect.” The boy could face up to four years in prison if convicted of insulting the president, which is forbidden under Turkey’s penal code. |