Man questions President's rally in eastern Turkey, spends night in jail

Hüseyin Ali Karabağ, 26, who was watching Erdoğan’s June 1 speech from nearby, was reportedly overheard questioning the justification for the president’s rally.

“Ahmet Davutoğlu [Prime Minister] came here. What has changed since then? Now the president has come. Why is he here?” Karabağ reportedly said.

After being heard by police he was detained and taken to a local police station, where he spent the evening. On June 2, he was forwarded to the courthouse and released after giving his testimony. 

Recently, concerns have been raised as the constitutionally impartial President Erdoğan continues to hold rallies ahead of the June 7 election. The Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) have appealed to the Supreme Election Board (YSK) and Turkey’s media watchdog (RTÜK) over alleged violations of the constitution, requesting that a warning be given to the office of the presidency. However, the YSK unanimously rejected the HDP’s appeal on May 6.