Eylem Sonbahar
A Turkish court has acquitted journalist Levent Gültekin of charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over remarks he made on Halk TV. The case was initiated following a complaint submitted via the Presidential Communications Center (CİMER). The prosecutor had called for acquittal, arguing that Gültekin’s statements did not constitute a criminal offense.
The investigation into Gültekin began after a complaint was filed with CİMER on Oct. 1, 2021, regarding his comments on a Halk TV program aired on Sept. 10, 2021. The complaint alleged that Gültekin had insulted both religion and President Erdoğan by saying, "If religious figures could discipline people, they would have disciplined our president." The complainant requested that legal action be taken against him.
As a result of the investigation, Gültekin was charged with "insulting the president" under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code. The second hearing of the case was held today at Istanbul’s 49th Criminal Court of First Instance.
'As journalists, we have the right to harsh criticism'
Gültekin attended the hearing with his lawyer, while President Erdoğan’s attorney did not appear, citing an excuse. In his defense statement, Gültekin argued that his comments were a philosophical critique rather than an insult.
"I made a philosophical remark about the idea that religion does not necessarily instill morality in people. A single sentence from this broader discussion was interpreted as an insult to the president, leading to this case. I am a journalist, not a politician. As journalists, we have the right to engage in harsh criticism. I had no intent to insult and request acquittal," he said.
His lawyer, Yağmur Yaşar, also defended Gültekin by emphasizing that his remarks should be considered as a whole rather than isolated.
"Extracting a single sentence from a broader statement and interpreting it as an insult is not consistent with the natural course of life. These remarks should be evaluated within the scope of criticism. Considering my client’s identity as a journalist, we request his acquittal," the lawyer stated.
Court rules statements do not constitute a crime
After a break to allow the prosecutor to prepare a final opinion, the prosecution concluded that Gültekin’s remarks did not meet the legal definition of an insult but rather amounted to coarse language. The prosecutor argued that the essential elements of the alleged crime were not present and recommended acquittal.
Agreeing with this assessment, the court ruled that the necessary legal conditions for the offense were not met and that Gültekin had not acted with criminal intent. As a result, the journalist was acquitted.
