EYLEM SONBAHAR
A prosecutor has requested a criminal penalty for celebrated Turkish actor İlyas Salman, who is on trial for "insulting the president" following remarks he made in a 2022 interview. In the interview, published by BirGün newspaper on Aug. 1, 2022, Salman was quoted as saying, “I am one of those who believe that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan does not deserve the seat he occupies.” This statement forms the basis of charges against him under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, which criminalizes insults directed at the president.
The fifth hearing in the case took place at Istanbul's 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. While Salman did not attend, his attorney Selen Sınmaz was present. Also attending was President Erdoğan’s attorney, Melih Tüfenkçi, who confirmed the continuation of their complaint and demanded Salman’s conviction.
Sınmaz argued for Salman’s acquittal, citing a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the Vedat Şorli case, which held that Article 299 violates freedom of expression as protected by the European Convention on Human Rights. Sınmaz asserted that the court should regard Article 299 as invalid under Turkish law in light of this ECHR decision.
In his closing statement, the prosecutor characterized Salman's comments as “insulting and degrading” and called for a sentence under the charge of insulting the president. Following this, Sınmaz requested additional time to prepare a defense statement in response to the prosecutor’s opinion.
The court granted this request, adjourning the trial until April 22, 2025.
