Detained over ‘Resurrection Ertuğrul’ post, journalist released on probation

* Photo: Ruşen Takva / Twitter

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After he tweeted a critical message about the "Resurrection: Ertuğrul" (Diriliş Ertuğrul") TV series aired on state channel TRT, the house of journalist Oktay Candemir was raided and he was taken into custody.

Detained over his message regarding the TV series centering on the life of Ertuğrul, the father of Osman I, who founded the Ottoman Empire, Candemir has been released on probation by the court.

Held in detention at night, Candemir stood before the judge at the Van 2nd Penal Court of Peace.

Facing possible charges of "insulting the memory of a dead person" as per the Article 130 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), Candemir made defense at court and repeated his previous defense that he had presented to the Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

In his defense, Candemir said, "I shared the names of series, both Resurrection Ertuğrul and other series, for purposes of humor. If my posts are closely observed, it can be seen that my aim was not insulting Ottoman sultans, but only making humor through the series' names. I am a journalist. I do not think that there is a crime element in the post that I shared."

After Candemir, his attorney Faruk Çağlar took the floor and expressed his agreement with his client's defense. "My client's is a sincere admission," Çağlar said and added: "We do not know how to make a defense in such a file. There is no crime element in the file. We request the release of my client without being subjected to any restrictions."

Announcing its ruling, the court has ruled that Candemir shall be released on probation. The journalist now has an international travel ban and will have to give signatures at a law enforcement agency every Friday.

Documenting the trial of journalists in Turkey, the Press in Arrest initiative has underlined that it is the first time when a journalist is facing charges as per the Article 103 of the Turkish Penal Code.

In his social media post dated September 3, Candemir said that "after Resurrection Ertuğrul and Foundation Ottoman, Awakening Seljuk would be now on TRT." Further in his post, he used rhyming words and names of Ottoman sultans and made up some other series' names, saying:

"It is now turn to broadcast the series Passing out Yavuz, Sobering the Conqueror, Lying Down Kanuni, Waking up Murad the 4th, Bemoaning Abdulhamid and Begging Vahdettin (!)."

Vahdettin, or Mehmed the 6th, was the last Ottoman Sultan, who left İstanbul on a British warship in 1922.

(HA/SD)