Turkish prosecutor launches investigation into Ümit Özdağ for 'disinformation' and 'inciting public to hatred'

A Turkish chief prosecutor’s office on Dec. 2 launched an investigation against far-right Victory Party (ZP) head Ümit Özdağ for “inciting the public to hatred and enmity” and “purposeful spread of misinformation.”

Saturday December 02 2023 05:18 pm

Duvar English

A chief prosecutor’s office in the Turkish capital Ankara on Dec. 2 announced that it launched an investigation into anti-refugee Victory Party (ZP) head Ümit Özdağ for “inciting the public to hatred and enmity” and “purposeful spread of misinformation.”

The party leader’s online posts alongside other social media accounts have been brought under investigation.

Özdağ has shared the investigation document on his social media and said, “There are 13 million refugees and undocumented individuals in Turkey. We spent tens of billions of dollars for these people, and we keep spending more.”

Türkiye’de 13 milyon sığınmacı ve kaçak var. Bunlara on milyarlarca dolar harcadık ve harcıyoruz. Erdoğan’ın yanlış politikalarından dolayı ülkemizde emperyalizmin her an istismar edebileceği bir sosyolojik yapı oluştu.Göç enflasyonu azdırdı, pahalılığı ve işsizliği artırdı.… pic.twitter.com/t3DO9xUPBW
— Ümit Özdağ (@umitozdag) December 1, 2023

“Immigration has exacerbated inflation, increased cost-of-life, and unemployment,” added Özdağ, repeating his anti-immigration rhetoric.

Özdağ responded to the investigation, “You cannot scare me into silence. We will continue our political struggle to send away the 13 million refugees and undocumented peoples.”

Ümit Özdağ founded the anti-immigrant Victory Party in 2021 after splitting his way with the İYİ (Good) Party and ran in the 2023 general elections on a platform of anti-immigration and xenophobia.

The party did not make it into the parliament, however received 2.23% of votes in the elections.