Prosecutor seeks 11 years in jail for journalist Kabaş

ISTANBUL

A prosecutor’s office is seeking up to 11 years and eight months in jail for journalist Sedef Kabaş on charges of “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and two ministers.

The Istanbul prosecutor completed the investigation in the case and prepared the indictment against Kabaş, who was arrested last month, over her remarks about the president aired on private broadcaster Tele 1.

The prosecutor demanded a jail term of seven years for “insulting the president” and another four years and eight months for “insulting” Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu.

Kabaş’s comments regarding Erdoğan overstepped the boundaries of criticism and those remarks were not in the interest of the public, the indictment said.

The journalist’s comments on Soylu and Karaismailoğlu also mounted to insult on public officials, it added.

In her statement to the police, Kabaş said she did not have any intention of insulting the president.

The indictment has been submitted to the Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul. If it accepts the indictment, Kabaş is expected to appear before the court in the coming days.

Last week, Erdoğan’s lawyer filed a lawsuit against Kabaş and Fırat Sakar, an executive of the private broadcaster, demanding 250,000 Turkish Liras ($18,400) in immaterial compensation.

Kabaş’s comments were beyond the limits of tolerance and included insults and made comments publicly which degraded and portrayed the president as a polarizing figure, the lawyer said in the petition with a court.