A Turkish academic and civil society executive appeared in court on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over a social media post from 2015, the Cumhuriyet daily reported.
Suay Karaman, secretary-general of the Association of All University Faculty Members (TÜMÖD) and president of the 1961 Constitution and Contemporary Democracy Foundation, appeared before the Ankara 90th Criminal Court of First Instance on Thursday over a post featuring a photograph of Erdoğan and a quote attributed to him saying, “Our only concern is Islam, Islam, Islam.”
In the post Karaman wrote that his main concerns were “people” who do not steal, live with dignity and do not betray their country, as well as “the homeland.” He first shared the post on August 1, 2015, and reposted it in 2021 and 2022.
Karaman faces charges under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), an offense that carries a prison sentence of up to four years. Sentences can be increased by one-sixth if the offense is committed in public.
Prosecutors claimed the post attacked Erdoğan’s honor, dignity and reputation and damaged his standing in society. They are seeking a prison sentence for insulting the president as well as restrictions on some of Karaman’s rights.
Karaman denied the accusation, saying his remarks were not directed at Erdoğan or anyone else and merely reflected his views on humanitarian and patriotic values.
Karaman’s lawyer, Ömer Faruk Eminağaoğlu, said the remarks contained no insult and questioned why they should be considered criminal merely because they followed a statement attributed to Erdoğan. He also argued that police had collected evidence without a complaint or an instruction from prosecutors and that the case therefore lacked lawfully obtained evidence.
The court adjourned the trial until December 9.
In 2014, when Erdoğan was first elected president, 132 people were prosecuted for insulting the president. Following Turkey’s transition to a presidential system in July 2018, the number of cases filed under Article 299 as well as Article 301, which criminalizes insulting the Turkish nation and the state, rose steadily, reaching 59,780 in 2025.
The law has long been criticized by human rights and press freedom advocates, who say it is used to prosecute journalists, politicians and ordinary citizens for expressing views critical of the president or even satirizing him indirectly.
In 2021 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the law should be amended or repealed, stating that giving special protection to the president stifles public debate and chills dissent. International human rights organizations have also repeatedly urged the Turkish government to review the law, which they describe as incompatible with democratic norms and international free speech standards.
