A 16-year-old high school student has been remanded in custody for allegedly defacing a poster of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The incident occurred during the recent presidential elections, in which Erdoğan’s campaign posters were prominently displayed throughout Turkey’s southern city of Mersin.
The high school student allegedly drew a Hitler-style moustache on one of the posters in ballpoint pen. Abusive expressions were also reportedly written on various parts of the poster.
After scrutinising CCTV footage, the police believed they had identified the suspect and apprehended him at his residence. The teenager, whose name has been withheld due to his status as a minor, confessed to drawing the moustache but denied responsibility for the offensive language on the poster.
After making a statement to the police the boy was handed over to the prosecutor’s office before being brought before a duty court, which ultimately decided to detain him at the Tarsus Children and Youth Closed Execution Institution on charges of insulting the president.
More than 16,000 individuals were prosecuted in 2022 in Turkey for “insulting the President” and “denigrating the government,” with 1,872 being convicted.
The remand decision has sparked debate among legal experts and civil rights advocates regarding freedom of expression and the rights of minors. As the case moves forward, many will be closely observing the outcome and its implications for the broader issues at hand.
