Turkish authorities on Monday detained and subsequently arrested a controversial social media commentator known for supporting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) after he posted a message that prosecutors said contained threats against the president.
According to the T24 news website, the Istanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said it had launched an investigation into Furkan Bölükbaşı under Article 310 of the Turkish Penal Code, which deals with the crimes of “assassination or physical assault of the president.” Authorities did not allege that Bölükbaşı had attempted such acts but said the post was being investigated as a threat against Erdoğan.
In a tweet on X, Bölükbaşı wrote that the downfall of former prime minister Adnan Menderes came from “trying to please Kemalism,” referring to the secularist ideology of modern Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. “Hopefully the current government of Muslims will correct itself before meeting the same fate,” he added.
Bölükbaşı deleted the post shortly after it attracted widespread attention on social media.
Menderes, who led Turkey between 1950 and 1960, was executed following a military coup.
Bölükbaşı, who gained notoriety on social media for his aggressive style and partisan attacks on government critics, is often described by Turkish media as part of the AKP’s online network of pro-government trolls.
