Turkish authorities detained former beauty queen Banu Öztürk on Tuesday on allegations of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on social media, the Cumhuriyet daily reported.
Öztürk, who was crowned Miss Globe Turkey in 2009, was taken into custody following an investigation launched by the Beykoz Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office in İstanbul. The probe centers on social media posts allegedly targeting Erdoğan and other senior state officials.
Öztürk began recording the police when they arrived at her home on Tuesday.
“They’re trying to break down my door to imprison me,” she said. “They’re here in front of my home trying to take me away during fasting hours because I allegedly insulted the president.”
Öztürk’s detention follows a series of tweets she posted on X, where she claimed to have restraining orders against multiple individuals, including Erdoğan. While her social media posts do not seem to make much sense and offer no context, Öztürk mentions being harassed by the police. Tagging the account of the Ministry of Justice, Öztürk says she is not afraid of Erdoğan or law enforcement.
It remains unclear whether Öztürk has been released.
Turkey has frequently used its defamation laws to prosecute journalists, academics and opposition figures, drawing concern from rights groups over restrictions on free speech.
In Turkey thousands of people are investigated, prosecuted or convicted on charges of insulting the president on the basis of the controversial Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The crime carries up to four years in prison, a sentence that can be increased if the act was committed using mass media.
