Cancer patient arrested over 'insulting' Erdoğan, 'making terror propaganda' on social media

Turkish police on Feb. 11 detained a cancer patient woman upon her arrival in Istanbul due to an arrest warrant. She was later dispatched to the Bakırköy Courthouse, where the court on duty gave an order for her arrest. Kesler (53) faces charges of "making terror propaganda" and "insulting" President Erdoğan in a Facebook post. She was dispatched to a hospital after fainting in the courthouse.

Duvar English

A Turkish court has ordered the arrest of a cancer patient woman on charges of "making terror propaganda" and “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, PİRHA news agency reported on Feb. 11. Daily Cumhuriyet said that the charges against Ayten Sarıkaya Kesler concern one of her Facebook posts.

Kesler (53) flew to Istanbul Airport from Switzerland on Feb. 11 morning. She was detained by passport control officers due to an arrest warrant.

Initially, Kesler was held at the airport police station, but later was dispatched to the prosecutor's office in the Bakırköy Courthouse, where she gave her testimony.

The court on duty gave an order for Kesler's arrest despite her having said that she was being treated for cancer. Kesler here fainted and was dispatched to a private hospital in the Bahçelievler district.

“I told the prosecutor's office that Ayten Sarıkaya Kesler is a cancer patient and she has medications on her. The cancer spread to all areas of her body. And they have seen her health situation. She is on the road since 3 a.m. and is exhausted and weak. Despite that, she has been arrested,” Kesler's lawyer Gülizar Tuncer was quoted as saying by PİRHA.

Kesler also suffers from high blood pressure, said Tuncer. “Being so tired, she fainted in the corridor of the courthouse. An ambulance was dispatched to the courthouse. I was even the one who called the ambulance...Doctors have seen her health situation; she is heavily sick. We do not know when she will be transferred to the prison,” Tuncer said.

Kesler fainted at the Bakırköy Courthouse on Feb 11.