Criminal Complaint by Şanar Yurdatapan Against Erdoğan

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Musician Şanar Yurdatapan has filed a criminal complaint against Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, sued for immaterial compensation of 1 TL (20 euro-cents).

Stating that Erdoğan's words about Citizen Initiative's declaration, which was signed by 170 people and called for the offensive into Afrin to be ended and issues to be solved by dialogue, constitute hate crime, Erdoğan advocated that Erdoğan committed crime according to Turkish Penal Code (TCK) Articles 125 and 216.

Concerning the subject, Yurdatapan said:

"Erdoğan's words are insult"

"Speaking at AKP Çorum Provincial congress on January 28, 2018, Erdoğan described the 170 people, who prepared a declaration about the Afrin operation and sent it to the AKP MPs, as traitor, immoral, vile and so-called artists. He said that what those people do is humbug, hypocrisy, and being human shields to the terrorists and abetting the separatist terrorist organization.

"These words uttered in a widely-attended meeting were broadcast on all TV channels, published on newspapers and reflected on social media.

"These words constitute crime of 'insult' according to the TCK Article 125. For this reason, we are suing him for symbolic immaterial compensation of 1 TL.

"But more importantly, this statement openly qualifies to be a 'hate speech' and constitutes a crime according to TCK Article 216.

"We call on our friends who share the same situation with us to sue for immaterial compensation in groups or individually".

Prof. Dr. Baskın Oran as well filed a criminal complaint against President Erdoğan, sued for immaterial compensation of 1 TL.

(EKN/TK)