Ahmet Altan

For the words they used on a TV program, Ahmet Altan and Mehmet Altan were detained on Saturday.

Journalist Ahmet Altan received 11 months and 20 days of prison for insulting PM Erdoğan in his article “State Complicity and Morality”. While the sentence was commuted to a fine of 2,800 euros, Altan’s advocate found the verdict against European Convention on Human Rights.

An Ankara court found Taraf newspaper columnist Ahmet Altan guilty for insulting PM Erdogan, ordering Altan to pay roughly 8,000 euros for non-pecuniary damages, a verdict that Taraf newspaper announced to take to ECHR.

After PM Erdoğan launched court cases against author Ataol Behramoğlu, journalist Oktay Ekşi and members of the Beyoğlu Troupe of Actors, he now also pressed a heavy compensation claim against journalist Ahmet Altan from Taraf newspaper.

Although the Ministry of Justice stops some of the article 301 cases, it still gives many permissions for trial under this article. Writer and journalist Ahmet Altan may become the next victim for insulting the Turkish nation.

After one of their writers was taken into custody for an article he wrote, two representatives of the Taraf newspaper have been investigated for supporting the anti-militarist statement of singer Bülent Ersoy.