Court defers verdict in former presidential adviser’s insult case against Erdoğan’s adviser

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court has ruled to defer a verdict in an insult case in which former President Abdullah Gül’s chief adviser was convicted of committing the crime against current President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s chief adviser. 

The court ordered Gül’s adviser, Ahmet Sever, to pay 10,620 Turkish Liras for insulting Mustafa Varank in a May interview with a daily, but the court later deferred the ruling, saying that there was a strong indication that the suspect would not commit a crime in the future.  

While Varank’s lawyer demanded a sentence for the suspect, Sever’s lawyer said the defendant had made a statement to draw attention to issues on the public agenda and that similar case had previously resulted in acquittals.

According to the indictment, Sever was charged with “insult through the media” and faced up to two years and four months in jail.