A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced a popular political journalist and commentator to more than four years in prison for “threatening” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Agence France-Presse reported.
The court sentenced Fatih Altaylı to four years, two months in prison, the Media and Law Studies Association said on X.
He was arrested in June after discussing a poll indicating that 70 percent of the public oppose longtime leader Erdoğan becoming president for life.
In the video — posted on Altaylı’s YouTube channel, which has 1.7 million subscribers — the journalist said the figure was “not particularly surprising,” in response to a question about the poll.
Apart from fans of Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) and some voters for its small nationalist ally, the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) “no one supports such an idea,” he said, in remarks quoted by Turkish media.
“Look at the distant past: This is a nation that has strangled its sultans when it didn’t like them or want them. … There are many Ottoman sultans who were strangled, assassinated or allegedly died by suicide,” he said.
Altaylı was arrested on June 21 and remains behind bars.
At his first hearing on October 3 he denied the charge against him, telling the court he had merely offered “elements of historical context” without intending to threaten Erdoğan, according to media outlets citing the official transcript.
Press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the ruling and called for Altaylı’s release.
“The heavy sentence imposed on Altaylı over statements taken out of context, as well as the decision to keep him in detention, sends an intimidating, antidemocratic and unacceptable message” to journalists, RSF’s Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu told Agence France-Presse.
According to RSF, Turkey has arrested 20 journalists this year for doing their jobs, of whom three are still in custody, while another three are under house arrest awaiting trial.
Journalists and publishing executives are regularly targeted by arrest, with TV stations and other outlets hit with temporary suspensions, heavy fines or both.
RSF places Turkey 159th out of 180 countries in its world press freedom rankings.
Erdoğan, who served as prime minister between 2003 and 2014 before becoming president, is not allowed to run for a fourth term when his mandate expires in 2028.
But the 71-year-old could attempt to maintain his grip on power by calling early elections or reforming Turkey’s constitution.
