A Turkish political journalist, Fatih Altayli, has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison for allegedly threatening President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the MLSA rights group.
Altayli, a popular commentator with over 1.7 million YouTube subscribers, was arrested in June after discussing a poll that showed 70 percent of the public opposed Erdogan becoming president for life. In a video response, he described the poll results as “not particularly surprising.”
During the broadcast, Altayli referenced historical events in which Ottoman sultans faced assassination or strangulation, arguing that “no one supports such an idea” except for Erdogan’s AKP party and its nationalist ally, the MHP. Turkish media cited his remarks as evidence for the charge.
At his first court appearance in October, Altayli denied threatening the president, stating that he had merely offered “elements of historical context” without intent to intimidate Erdogan. He remains in detention.
Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the ruling, describing it as “intimidating, antidemocratic, and unacceptable” to journalists. RSF reports that 20 journalists have been arrested in Turkey this year, with several still in custody or under house arrest pending trial.
Turkey ranks 159th out of 180 countries in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index. Journalists and media outlets in the country frequently face arrests, fines, or temporary suspensions for their reporting.
President Erdogan, who has held power as prime minister and president since 2003, is constitutionally barred from a fourth term in 2028, though early elections or constitutional reforms could allow him to extend his tenure.
