Investigation Against HDP MP Erkan Baş for ‘Insulting President’

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An investigation has been launched against the İstanbul MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Erkan Baş on charge of "insulting the President."

The word "dictator" that Erkan Baş wrote in posts shared on his personal social media account has been referred to as the reason for the investigation.

Baş: The point where the law has come is not a coincidence

Speaking to İleri Haber news website, Erkan Baş has stated that he does not view the investigation as coincidental:

"Our attorney friends have informed us that an investigation has been launched against me on charge of "insulting the President", which is used to file a lawsuit against almost everyone who has not surrendered to the government.

"We are all aware of the point where the law in Turkey has come; therefore, I do not view it as a coincidence that such an investigation was launched today."

About Erkan Baş

Erkan Baş is a member of the Founders' Committee of the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP).

Born in Berlin, Germany on July 14, 1979, Baş went to the primary, secondary and high school in İstanbul. He studied in the Department of History of Science at the Faculty of Arts in İstanbul University. He completed his graduate studies in the same department.

After graduating from university, Baş worked as the Chief Editor of the journal "Bilim Tarihi Araştırmaları" (Research of History of Science). He was also a visiting lecturer at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences in İstanbul Technical University in the same period. After participating in the protests against the privatization of the university dining hall, he got suspended from his post, which interrupted his academic life.

He became a member of the Socialist Power Party (SİP) and served in various positions in the party as well as in the Communist Party of Turkey (TKP), which was founded afterwards. (TP/SD)