Lawyer Burak Saldıroğlu, arrested for 'insulting the President', released

Lawyer Burak Saldıroğlu, who was arrested for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan due to his social media posts, has been released. The indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stated that Saldıroğlu was charged under Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for his remarks regarding the President in posts made on March 14 and 24, 2025.

The indictment alleged that in posts made from his "@buraksaldiroglu" account, Saldıroğlu made insinuations regarding the President's mental health and insulted the Turkish police.

The prosecution had demanded his punishment, arguing that these statements were made publicly and in a chain-like manner.

STATEMENTS FROM THE LAWYER

Saldıroğlu's lawyer, Mehmet Turgay Bilge, stated that such cases usually result in release within a short time, saying, "In this process, hundreds of people in Istanbul have been arrested on similar charges, and most were released shortly after. This has become a tactic aimed at intimidating people." Bilge expressed that his client was also a victim of this practice.

Lawyer Burak Saldıroğlu was detained on May 9 and arrested the following day. The indictment, prepared with the authorization of the Ministry of Justice, had been submitted to the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance.

News Source: 12punto