Economist briefly detained over allegations of insulting President Erdoğan
Sönmez was detained at 3:50 a.m. at his home, announced by journalist Ayşenur Arslan.
Turkish economy writer Mustafa Sönmez was detained on Sunday over his social media posts and released the same day after questioning by a prosecutor, the Gazete Duvar news website reported.
Sönmez was detained at 3:50 a.m. at his home, announced by journalist Ayşenur Arslan.
Upon Sönmez’s release, an opposition deputy shared a video of him in which he revealed that he was accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Sönmez said he faced the allegation because of video footage he shared on Twitter prior to a Saturday football match between Beşiktaş and Başakşehir.
In the video Beşiktaş fans chanted “Cheers, Tayyip” while raising beer glasses.
The match was seen by many as an occasion to express dissent as Başakşehir is widely considered to be supported by government subsidies, representing Erdoğan’s desire to extend his influence into the country’s most popular sport.
Source: Turkish Minute
