Judge orders block on misleading video linking Kılıçdaroğlu to PKK

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A judge has blocked a Twitter post containing a video that was acknowledged by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to have been fabricated and shown during his election rallies.

The video in question was a combination of footage of the election advertisement of Erdoğan's rival in the presidential election, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, and footage of the leaders of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), falsely insinuating that the group supported the opposition.

The Ankara 6th Penal Judgeship of Peace decided to block access to a Twitter post containing the video, concluding that it constituted an attack on the personal rights of Kılıçdaroğlu.

During live broadcast on TRT, the public broadcaster, Erdoğan acknowledged that the video may be fabricated, saying, "Kılıçdaroğlu has videos with [PKK leaders]... Manipulated or not, these video recordings were made."

Kılıçdaroğlu considered Erdoğan's response as a "confession" and called him a "manipulative charlatan."

Provincial organizations of Kılıçdaroğlu's Republican People's Party (CHP) also protested Erdoğan's statement by placing black wreaths in front of the provincial organizations of his ruling Justice and Development Party.

Kılıçdaroğlu's lawyer, Celal Çelik, announced that they had filed a lawsuit against Erdoğan for 1 million Turkish liras in non-pecuniary damages. (VC/VK)