PodcastProsecutor drops charges against lawyer who called minister 'bald'
Prosecutors have dropped all charges against a lawyer probed for referring to Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu as "bald-headed" in a social media post. “Taking into account the decisions handed down by the Court of Cassation and the Constitutional Court regarding the politicians, the uttered statement is evaluated to be a vulgar remark [instead of insult]," the Adana Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said.
Müzeyyen Yüce / Duvar
Turkish prosecutors in the southern province of Adana have announced that they have dropped all legal proceedings against a lawyer probed for referring to Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu as “bald-headed” in a social media post.
The Adana Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said in its decision of non-prosecution that lawyer Tugay Bek's statement was not an “insult” against Soylu, but instead a “vulgar remark.”
The lawsuit against Bek concerned his three social media posts criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government. In one of the posts, Bek referred to Soylu as “bald-headed.”
The Adana Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said in its decision that Bek's statements “merely consisted of criticism” and “did not constitute a crime.”
As for the “bald-headed” statement, the prosecutor's office said: “Taking into account the decisions handed down by the Court of Cassation and the Constitutional Court regarding the politicians, the uttered statement is evaluated to be a vulgar remark.”
If the prosecutor's office had not given a decision of non-prosecution, Bek would stand trial on charges of "insulting a public officer."