A lawsuit like 'you have an eyebrow above your eye'!..

It is well known that HÜDA-PAR, a partner in the People's Alliance, advocates for and desires almost the same things as the PKK. At the forefront of these is the amendment of the first three articles of the Constitution.

However, after becoming a partner in the government, instead of voicing this openly, another formula was found; Chairman Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu began to emphasize that they only want to change the fourth article—the one that stipulates the first three articles are "unalterable and cannot be proposed for amendment." He targeted those who criticized and reacted to this cunning move with the following expressions:

"I said it one by one as if explaining it to a fool, yet they insist on not understanding... Not the first 4 articles, the 4th article, okay?"

One of those who reacted to Yapıcıoğlu's words was retired Police Chief Fatih Eryılmaz, a veteran of the July 15 coup attempt. Eryılmaz made the following post on his social media account:

"In a place where those who use 'pig-tie' torture methods can express opinions about the Constitution, drug dealers might also start talking about the Turkish Penal Code."

Following this post, a lawsuit was filed against Eryılmaz upon Yapıcıoğlu's complaint, charging him with "insulting a public official due to their duty."

The first hearing of the case was held recently. Before this, Furkan Bölükbaşı, one of the prominent trolls of the AKP known for his insults toward Atatürk, had been arrested on charges of "assassination and physical attack (threat) against the President" due to his post criticizing the November 10 commemoration, in which he stated, "Menderes's end was brought about by the flirtations he made with Kemalism." HÜDA PAR stood by Bölükbaşı and issued the following statement:

"There is no element in Furkan Bölükbaşı's post that constitutes a threat, insult, or crime, and it is known that he has expressed his thoughts peacefully from the past to the present. In this respect, the investigation conducted is devoid of legal basis and constitutes a serious violation in terms of freedom of expression. Making criticism and the expression of ideas a subject of criminal sanctions damages trust in justice. According to the fundamental principles of law, no citizen can be punished for their thoughts that remain within the limits of criticism and do not contain insults, threats, etc."

"He Called Them Torturers by Saying 'Pig-Tiers'"

While HÜDA PAR defended Bölükbaşı in this way, let us look at what happened in the case filed against Fatih Eryılmaz upon the complaint of the party's Chairman Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu. In his defense, Eryılmaz summarized the following:

"I encountered the terrorist organizations I was supposed to face in my professional life back when I was at the Police Academy. Throughout my career, I encountered not only FETÖ but also organizations like the PKK and Hezbollah. I have the training to know what is a crime and what is not. I fought against these organizations not because of my profession, but with a belief for our country and our nation, and I continue to do so. That is why I write, speak, and participate in TV programs about organizations working to destroy the Republic of Turkey. In this context, I did not insult Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu personally; I criticized the opinion of the chairman of the party named HÜDA PAR. This is not a criticism made due to public duty because he is a member of parliament. In fact, his lawyer also says in the complaint petition, 'even if he does not target him directly.' I, as a Deputy Chairman of the Victory Party (Zafer Partisi), expressed my own opinion. We all know the Hezbollah terrorist organization that operated in our country in the past. The torture footage still exists. After its leader Hüseyin Velioğlu died in a police operation in 2000 and it lost its power, it organized as the Mustazaflar Solidarity Association in 2004. If you ask intelligence, they will tell you who they are. This association was also closed by a court decision in 2012 due to its connection to terrorism. Then HÜDA PAR was founded. The founding chairman of the party is the chairman of Mustazaflar and is the secretary general of HÜDA PAR. Furthermore, two deputy chairmen have been convicted for their ties to Hezbollah. At the party's congress, a poster of Hüseyin Velioğlu was hung with the words 'martyr guide' written on it. When Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu was asked questions about the Hezbollah terrorist organization, he said, 'Our bases overlap. Since we come from the same tradition, our view on some events may be similar,' and he also said that Hezbollah is not a terrorist organization. Yet, to keep this country standing, he should have condemned Hezbollah as strongly as I did and shown a reaction. My post was not directed at his person directly, but at this tradition and mentality. According to the Law on Political Parties, chairmen represent the legal personality of the parties. He did not make this statement regarding legislative activity; he made it as a chairman. They wear two hats; when it suits them, they are members of parliament, and when it doesn't, they are chairmen. My words are addressed to the chairman. I think he was offended by the expression 'pig-tiers.' Because there is also the expression 'drug dealers.' If I had targeted a single person with the expression 'pig-tiers,' I would not have used the plural suffix '-s' and would have said 'pig-tier.' It is very clear that I am criticizing a tradition and addressing an abstract mentality."

His lawyer, while not accepting the charges, stated that Eryılmaz's statements could at most be considered harsh criticism and requested that it be asked why the Mustazaflar Association was closed and who served in HÜDA PAR.

Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu's lawyer, on the other hand, said, "We could not understand whether a defamation case or a political party closure case is being heard. Yes, Mustazaflar was tried; but it continued its activities after the ECHR decision and is currently active. Even if the defendant did not insult directly, it is understood that he meant our client, because he shared the post by quoting his video. We do not accept this as harsh criticism; it is known that words like 'torturer' and 'murderer' are accepted as insults."

The Result?

The prosecutor stated that because the words were quoted, the post was directed at Zekeriya Yapıcıoğlu and that the "pig-tie" is known in the public as "torturer," and submitted an opinion for Fatih Eryılmaz to be punished.

While Fatih Eryılmaz emphasized once again that he said "pig-tiers" and not "pig-tier," the case was adjourned to November 25 for him to present his defense against the prosecutor's opinion.

The situation is this; there is one segment that is untouchable despite a thousand insults and threats... There is another segment that finds itself in court or in prison for the slightest word... At this rate, it will soon be considered an insult to be told, "You have an eyebrow above your eye"!..

Müyesser YILDIZ

November 16, 2025