A Turkish court on Wednesday convicted veteran journalist Fatih Altayli of threatening President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sentencing him to four years and two months in prison. The case, widely criticized as an attempt to stifle dissent, has drawn significant attention to the state of press freedom in Turkey. Altayli, 63, whose YouTube programs garnered hundreds of thousands of daily views, was detained in June and charged with publicly disseminating a threat against the president. He has denied the allegations and plans to appeal the verdict. The court ordered him to remain in custody during the appeals process, as reported by Cumhuriyet newspaper and other media outlets. The charges stem from a comment Altayli made on his program, “Fatih Altayli Comments,” following a poll indicating that over 70% of Turks opposed a lifetime presidency for Erdogan, who has ruled for more than two decades. Altayli remarked that he was unsurprised by the poll results, stating that the Turkish people historically prefer checks on authority. He referenced the Ottoman Empire, noting that sultans who lost public favor were often assassinated or forced into suicide. During the trial, Altayli called the accusations “absurd and unnecessary,” questioning why the president would fear him, as he has no ties to violent organizations. His YouTube program was suspended last month after the trial’s first hearing, though he continued to share news and commentary through letters relayed by his lawyers and read by his assistant. With most mainstream media in Turkey controlled by pro-government entities, independent journalists have increasingly turned to platforms like YouTube for uncensored reporting. According to the Turkish Journalists Syndicate, Altayli is among 11 journalists and media workers currently imprisoned in Turkey. The government maintains that these individuals are prosecuted for criminal acts, not their journalistic activities.
Turkish journalist jailed for four years for threatening Erdogan on social media
