(Adnkronos) – Four years and two months in prison. This is the sentence that an Istanbul court has handed down to Turkish journalist Fatih Altayli, accused of “threats” against Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Altayli, 63, can appeal. Arrested in June, Altayli – among Turkey’s most well-known political commentators – will remain in prison due to flight risk, Turkish media reported.
The journalist is known for commenting daily on the latest political developments on his YouTube channel, with over 1.5 million ‘loyal followers’. It all started, according to the official Anadolu agency, with a video in which Altayli discusses a poll suggesting that 70% of people in Turkey are against an ‘eternal’ mandate for Erdogan. In the video, Altayli states that Turks will never give up their right to vote. The journalist rejected all accusations, claiming that his words were deliberately distorted.
