How the Turkish head of state persecuted his critics

Istanbul, a main road. A convoy of black limousines with flashing blue lights races towards her. A 16-year-old schoolgirl is standing at the side of the road. They evidently feel threatened by the convoy and shout something. It is not known exactly what. Perhaps “damn!”. What the girl did not know and what is now her downfall: President Erdogan was sitting in one of the limousines. The 16-year-old could not hear, but a policeman at the side of the road was an ear witness. The girl was arrested and remained in police custody for a day. The schoolgirl was then released, but on the condition that she report to the police every week. On August 18, the Istanbul public prosecutor's office filed charges of insulting the president, Turkish media reported on Thursday. According to Section 299 of the Turkish penal code, this can result in up to four years in prison.

During police questioning, the 16-year-old tried to justify herself, writes the newspaper “BirGün”: She did not know that Erdogan was in one of the cars. Six months earlier, she had been involved in a traffic accident, which is why the speeding convoy frightened her, the schoolgirl said. The public prosecutor's office nevertheless brought charges.

In July, Erdogan slapped a boy

When it comes to his honor, Erdogan is not joking. According to official figures, between 2019 and 2022, the Turkish judiciary initiated 52,348 investigations into insults against the president, his government or the Islamic-conservative ruling party AKP. By comparison, during Erdogan's five terms in office since the end of the military dictatorship in 1983, there were only 1,716 cases of insults against the president.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 6,879 people were charged with insulting the president last year. Of these, 1,602 were sentenced to prison and 1,982 received suspended sentences. The rest were acquitted. During the seven-year term of office of Erdogan's immediate predecessor, Abdullah Gül, who also belonged to the ruling AKP party, there were only 233 convictions.

The charges are usually based on police reports, but often also on the initiative of Erdogan's lawyers. In Antalya, the police stormed the apartment of a tenant who had made critical comments about the government in a television street survey. Children and young people are often targeted. Erdogan sometimes takes discipline into his own hands. At the end of July, a video went viral on social media. It shows Erdogan with a little boy at an event in the Black Sea city of Rize. The president holds out the back of his hand to the child. The boy is supposed to kiss his hand. But the child apparently does not know what is expected of him and looks questioningly up at the president. Erdogan slapped the boy. The boy understands and finally kisses the president's hand – and is rewarded with a banknote.

Turkish security authorities search social networks

In 2023 alone, 972 minors were charged with insulting the president or insulting the Turkish nation and state organs; the year before, there were 1,075 such cases against minors. In April 2023, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office brought charges against a 13-year-old child. He was accused of “violating the dignity and honor of the president” in a post on WhatsApp. Three months later, the court sentenced the child to one year in prison. The sentence was then reduced to five months and suspended “due to the defendant's age and good behavior.” Also last year, a 16-year-old student in Mersin, southeastern Turkey, had to answer to the court for insulting the president because he had drawn a Hitler moustache on an election poster for Erdogan with a felt-tip pen.

The Turkish security authorities systematically search social media posts day and night for opinions critical of the government. Holidaymakers should therefore also be extremely cautious when making statements about Erdogan and the government. In its travel and security advice for Turkey, the Foreign Office warns of “arrests, prosecutions or travel bans in connection with statements critical of the government on social media, increasingly also due to accusations of insulting the president.” Anyone who “likes” or forwards a post critical of Erdogan on social media is committing a criminal offense.

Even in public, some Erdogan supporter is always listening

Even those who have taken part in demonstrations against the Turkish government in their home country can experience a nasty surprise when entering Turkey. With the “Anti-Disinformation Law” passed by the Turkish parliament in October 2022, the judiciary has gained another tool against government critics. The dissemination of information classified as “false” can be punished under the law with prison sentences of up to three years. The human rights organization Amnesty International criticizes: “With the vaguely worded 'disinformation law', the Turkish government is further restricting freedom of expression under the guise of combating fake news and is trying to create a climate of fear.”

Caution is also advised in public discussions. Because some Erdogan supporter is always listening. Wuppertal dentist Kristian B. found out about this in 2020. He was arrested at Antalya airport because he allegedly made insulting comments towards Erdogan in an exchange of words at the baggage carousel. The 63-year-old doctor spent a month in police custody before he was able to leave the country.