A 16-year-old girl in İstanbul faces charges for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with a prosecutor demanding her conviction, Turkish media reported on Thursday.
The teenager was reportedly taken into custody on May 12 after a presidential guard accused her of swearing at Erdoğan’s convoy as it passed by. In her statement, the girl explained that she had reacted out of fear to a speeding vehicle and was unaware that it was part of the presidential convoy. She denied any intent to insult the president or any other official.
Following her detention, the İstanbul 1st Criminal Court of Peace released the girl under judicial supervision, requiring her to sign in at a police station once a week and imposing a travel ban. The prosecutor later filed an indictment on August 18, seeking her conviction for insulting the president.
This case is part of a broader trend, with 972 minors investigated last year under Turkey’s penal code articles related to insulting the president and other officials.
In 2023, 6,879 people faced charges for allegedly insulting President Erdoğan or his Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, according to Justice Ministry data reported by the Stockholm Center for Freedom. Of these, 1,602 were convicted, 1,982 received suspended sentences and 1,774 were acquitted.
The prosecutions, conducted under the controversial Articles 299 and 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, have drawn criticism from rights groups who argue that these laws are used to stifle dissent and restrict freedom of expression.