Erdogan says a journalist who insulted him will not go unpunished
Sedef Kabaş was arrested after Twitter post allegedly referencing Turkey's president was shared with her 900,000 followers.
Last Saturday, police escorted Sedef Kabaş, a well-known Turkish journalist, to court. Photograph: AP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has assured a renowned television journalist that she will not go "unpunished" over accusations that she insulted him.
Sedef Kabaş was arrested at her home just hours after she aired the comments and posted them to Twitter to her 900,000 followers.
A proverb was allegedly used in the alleged insult: “When the ox comes to the palace, he does not become a king. But the palace becomes a barn.” Her court appearance resulted in her arrest.
An interview aired on the private television channel NTV quoted Erdogan as saying, “This offense will not go unpunished.” He said, “It is our duty to protect the dignity of my office, the presidency.” “It has nothing to do with freedom of expression.”
He criticized a proposal from the opposition Republican People's party that the crime of insulting the president, which carries a prison sentence of one to four years, could be abolished.
Kabaş' arrest has been described as a "serious attack on freedom of expression" by the Turkish journalist's union.
Rights groups accuse Turkey of stifling media freedom by arresting journalists and closing critical media outlets, especially since Erdogan survived a coup attempt in July 2016.
Turkey ranked 153rd out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders' 2021 press freedom index.
*This article contains information sourced from The Guardian.
