A retired man in Turkey has been summoned by police for questioning after criticizing the government in a street interview, with authorities accusing him of “insulting the president,” the Sözcü daily reported on Saturday.
Halil Küpeli, a pensioner from the central city of Kayseri, made headlines after remarks he made about economic hardship and government policies in an interview conducted by YouTube channel Sokak Kedisi (Stray Cat) went viral. He was summoned to the Kayseri Police Department for questioning following accusations of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During the interview Küpeli criticized the government over the rising cost of living and inadequate pension payments, saying he was forced to continue working to make ends meet despite his retirement. He also accused ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) officials of living in luxury while ordinary citizens struggled with poverty.
“Anyone who speaks out wakes up in prison,” Küpeli said in the interview.
Attorney Emre Ayan condemned the summons, calling it a symptom of a deteriorating democratic system. “Speaking out has consequences. People are quickly called in by the police, silenced and intimidated. The goal is to create a submissive society where no one criticizes the people in power,” Ayan said in a statement on social media.
Ayan also called for a revision of Turkey’s penal code, arguing that the law on “insulting the president” is being used as a tool to suppress political dissent.
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.
