Turkish mayor files criminal complaint against 15-year-old child over ‘insulting’

Ruling AKP’s Samsun Mayor Mustafa Demir has filed a criminal complaint against a 15-year-old child, demanding that they be prosecuted on charges of “insulting.”

This file photo shows Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Demir from the ruling AKP

Duvar English

Turkey’s Samsun Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mustafa Demir, from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), has filed a criminal complaint against 15-year-old H.S., demanding that they stand trial on charges of “insulting.”

The charges concern the high school student’s tweet that criticized Demir’s policy of expropriating the houses and workplaces inherited from his grandfather at a much lower price.

H.S was released after giving a statement to the police. The high school student said “My family is devastated that our house will be demolished. With the money given by the municipality, our future will be dark. One day my family was very sad, so I shared a post. Then I deleted them,” the daily Cumhuriyet reported on April 8. 

On the other hand, Demir did not withdraw his complaint despite it turned out that the complainant was a 15-year-old child.