Investigation into Cartoonist Musa Kart over Insulting State

*The headline image text: "The kytes flew for Can and Erdem in Silivri [Prison] yesterday. The Master of kytes is from the [Presidential] Palace".

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Following the complaint by Presidency Secretary General, investigation has been launched into Musa Kart, one of the cartoonists of Cumhuriyet daily on the basis of the article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK) over his caricature issued on December 8, 2015.

According to the report of Cumhuriyet daily, it has been demanded to take legal actions against Kart on charges of “defaming the president” as well as “insulting the Turkish Nation, State of the Republic of Turkey and the institutions and organs of the state” regulated in the Article 301 of TCK. Kart has been summoned to İstanbul Court to give testimony as a suspect.

Evaluating the decision of investigation as “In my caricature I claim that certain jurisdiction is led by the [Presidential] Palace like the certain media is. If you don’t want to be called a dictator, you should not react to every claim with punishment threat. Democracies respond to claims with counter-claims. This caricature is drawn for the purpose of solidarity with my dear brothers Can [Dündar] and Erdem [Gül]. In case the intention is to intimidate the ones in solidarity, I call it an unavailing effort!”.(EA/DG)