Trending 
A Turkish court on Wednesday handed a popular political journalist and commentator a four-year prison sentence for allegedly “threatening” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to an NGO representing him.
The MLSA rights group said on X that the court sentenced Fatih Altayli to four years and two months in jail.
Authorities arrested Altayli in June after he discussed a poll indicating that 70 per cent of the public opposed Erdogan remaining president for life.
In the video — posted on his YouTube channel, which has 1.7 million subscribers — Altayli said the result was “not particularly surprising” when asked about the survey.
He added that, aside from supporters of Erdogan’s AKP and a portion of voters for its nationalist ally, the MHP, “no one supports such an idea”, according to quotes carried by Turkish media.
Altayli also remarked that, historically, the nation had removed or even executed Ottoman sultans it no longer wanted, noting that many had been strangled, assassinated, or reported to have taken their own lives.
Police detained him on 21 June, and he remains in custody.
At his first hearing on 3 October, he rejected the accusation, telling the court he had simply provided “elements of historical context” without intending to threaten the president, according to media reports citing the official transcript.
Press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the verdict and demanded his release.
RSF’s Turkey representative, Erol Onderoglu, said the harsh sentence and continued detention sent an intimidating and antidemocratic message to journalists.
RSF reports that Turkey has arrested 20 journalists this year for doing their jobs, with three still in custody and another three under house arrest awaiting trial. Media workers often face arrests, suspensions, and heavy fines.
Turkey ranks 159th out of 180 in the RSF global press freedom index.
Erdogan, who served as prime minister from 2003 to 2014 before becoming president, cannot legally seek a fourth term when his current mandate ends in 2028. However, the 71-year-old may attempt to retain power by calling early elections or amending the constitution.
