Turkish journalist faces five-year sentence over threat to President Erdoğan PHOTO

Prosecutors in Türkiye have filed an indictment against journalist Fatih Altaylı, who remains in pre-trial detention at Silivri Prison, seeking a minimum five-year prison sentence for threatening the president under Articles 310/2 and 106/1.

Altaylı was detained in June following comments made during a YouTube live broadcast, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

In the photo is Fatih Altaylı

The indictment claims his remarks invoked historical examples of unpopular rulers being overthrown or killed — interpreted as a veiled threat directed at President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Legal arguments in the indictment emphasise the symbolic and legal significance of the presidency in Türkiye.

Referring to the explanatory notes of Article 310, the text states: “The statute avoids the term ‘killing’ and instead uses ‘assassination’ — a term long associated with acts against a head of state. According to Article 310/2, all physical acts targeting the President, aside from verbal insults, are categorised as criminal assaults and prosecuted accordingly.”

Prosecutors assert that Altaylı crossed a legal boundary:

“When asked about the President, the suspect referred to episodes in Ottoman history where disliked sultans were eliminated by their subjects. He then remarked, ‘those dreaming of true dictatorship never succeed — just when they believe they have, it turns out they haven’t, and that benefits no one, not even themselves.’ Within this context, his statements are interpreted as suggesting a potential threat to the President’s safety.”

The indictment also references precedent from cases prosecuted under the same article since 2018, citing consistency in the application of the law.

By Aghakazim Guliyev