Turkish court convicts TV host Fatih Altaylı over presidential threat

Turkish journalist and TV host Fatih Altaylı has been convicted under charges of “threatening the president.”

Altaylı was arrested on 20 June over comments he made about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on his social media accounts, Caliber.Az reports, citing TRT Haber.

He cited historical examples in his YouTube broadcast, which prosecutors described as threatening, and was subsequently sentenced to four years and two months in prison, remaining in custody.

Authorities opened a case against him under articles 310/2 and 106/1 of the Turkish Penal Code for alleged threat and insult to the president.

Altaylı and his legal team argue that his remarks were political commentary rather than a genuine threat and claim the edited excerpts used against him distort their full meaning.

By Jeyhun Aghazada