Turkish rapper Şehinşah protests Erdoğan, throws tea to concert audience

In an attempt to protest President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkish rapper Şehinşah has thrown boxes of tea to those who came to his concert. “I have a surprise for you, I hope you like it,” Şehinşah told the crowd.

Monday August 02 2021 10:18 pm

Duvar English

Turkish rapper Şehinşah threw tea to those who came to his concert on Aug. 1, in an apparent attempt to mimic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's move from the day before in the fire-stricken coastal town of Marmaris.

“I have a surprise for you, I hope you like it,” Şehinşah told the crowd, before throwing the tea.

On July 31, Erdoğan visited Marmaris, which has been battling with forest fires since last week, and chose to throw boxes of tea to disaster victims from the platform that he gave a speech.

Next day, the hashtag “AkParTea” expressing the frustration became number one topic, with people slamming the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) over its incapability and weak efforts to extinguish the wildfires on Turkey’s southern coastline.

Just a week earlier, Erdoğan had also thrown boxes of tea in the flood-stricken province of Rize.

Şehinşah, whose real name is Ufuk Yıkılmaz, was detained on June 5 on charges of insulting the president. Afterwards, he was released pending trial.

The charge of “insulting the president” is commonly deployed by prosecutors as retaliation against criticism of the government and the president.