Turkish journalist could face minimum 5 years prison for Erdogan comments

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ANKARA (Reuters) -Turkish prosecutors have prepared an indictment seeking a prison sentence of at least five years for independent journalist Fatih Altayli over comments he made about President Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, state broadcaster TRT reported on Thursday.

Altayli, who has more than 1.5 million YouTube subscribers, was jailed pending trial last month over the comments in a social media video about a poll that showed most Turks opposed Erdogan ruling for life.

Altayli denied the charge, in a statement to the court before his arrest, and said his comments had been taken out of context and were part of a rhetorical, historical discussion.

In the video, Altayli – referencing Ottoman history – said that Turks had “killed” or “drowned” rulers they no longer wanted in power. His remarks drew backlash from Erdogan aide Oktay Saral, who wrote on the X platform that Altayli’s “water was boiling.”

The indictment accuses Altayli of “threatening the president,” a charge that carries a minimum prison sentence of five years upon conviction, TRT said.

Altayli’s arrest comes amid a broader crackdown on Turkish opposition figures in recent months, including the March detention of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s main political rival.

(Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever;Editing by Ece Toksabay and Rachna Uppal)