EYLEM SONBAHAR
A Turkish prosecutor has requested a prison sentence for journalist Furkan Karabay on charges of “insulting the president,” citing three of his social media posts, including one made after the devastating Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes, as exceeding the boundaries of free expression.
The fourth hearing in Karabay’s trial was held at the Istanbul 74th Criminal Court of First Instance. Karabay has been in pretrial detention since May 15 in a separate case. He did not attend the hearing, but his lawyer Özge Naz Akkaya and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s lawyer Muhammet Koç were present.
Presenting the final opinion on the case, the prosecutor argued that Karabay’s posts “exceeded the right to criticism and freedom of expression” and “damaged the honor, dignity, and respectability of the President.” Noting that the posts were made publicly on social media, the prosecutor said the element of publicity required for the offense had been met, and requested that Karabay be sentenced for “publicly insulting the president in a continuous manner.”
Erdoğan’s lawyer Koç claimed the posts also constituted other unspecified crimes and demanded the “maximum sentence” be imposed.
The court accepted Karabay's lawyer’s request for time to prepare a response to the prosecutor’s opinion and adjourned the trial to July 11.
From the indictment
The indictment, dated Jan. 24, 2024, and naming President Erdoğan as the complainant, cites three tweets posted by Karabay in 2023 as the basis for the charges.
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On May 28, 2023, Karabay wrote:
“Oh you owls sitting in palaces, you monsters in human skin who make orphans weep, who sell your honor for money, the homeland is bleeding, the nation is devastated! We have the courage to sacrifice our lives for the country. No giving up. Our fight against tyranny is not for a day, but for a lifetime.” -
On Feb. 8, 2023, in the aftermath of the earthquakes, he posted:
“While people were using social media to reach their loved ones and call for help, those who ignored them restricted Twitter. While you chase profit, drugs, and protect mafia networks, citizens are freezing to death under the rubble. The day will come when you are held accountable.” -
On May 19, 2023, he posted:
“In AKP’s 21 years in power, many lives were lost through plots organized with terrorist groups. Just like they applauded those who drove Kuddusi Okkır, Türkan Saylan, and Ali Tatar to their deaths, Erdoğan and the AKP now applaud those who led Vural Avat to his grave…”
Karabay, a journalist known for critical reporting, is among several Turkish media professionals prosecuted under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes “insulting the president.” The law has been widely criticized by press freedom groups and the Council of Europe, which argue it violates international standards on freedom of expression and is often used to silence dissent.
