Yücel D., reportedly a member of the Communist Party of Turkey and Marxist Leninist Movement (TKP/ML), was arrested in Çorum province on Thursday over social media messages he posted allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
According to the Doğan news agency, Yücel D. was arrested and put in jail in Çorum after a court ordered his arrest for “insulting the president.” Doğan did not mention the social media platform where Yücel D. shared posts insulting the president.
Insulting the president is a crime in Turkey, according to the controversial Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). Whoever insults the president can face up to four years in prison, a sentence that can be increased if the crime is committed through the mass media.
President Erdoğan stated on July 30 that all legal cases against those who had allegedly insulted him would be withdrawn. Some 2,000 court cases were filed against offenders.