Fatih Altaylı reacts to the arrest of Dilruba K.: 'Absurd and legally immoral'

Journalist Fatih Altaylı reacted to the decision to arrest Dilruba K. due to statements she made in a street interview.

In his column, Altaylı criticized the arrest of a citizen for remarks made in a street interview, while recalling Fatma Zehra Kınık, the daughter of former Kızılay President Kerem Kınık, who was released under judicial control following the accident on July 9 that resulted in the death of 17-year-old Batın Barlas Çeki.

Fatih Altaylı wrote the following in his column:

“Dilruba K.’s words can at most be considered an insult, and the penalty for this is clear. It could result in a few months of imprisonment. Since it is her first offense, the announcement of the verdict could be deferred. Even if deferment is not requested, the sentence is not enforced because a few months of imprisonment is not served. In any case, an arrest warrant is not issued for a crime that carries such a low penalty. While murderers and the children of former Kızılay presidents are tried without arrest, no one should be arrested for an insult crime where it is unclear who it was directed at. What is absurd and perhaps legally immoral is not the filing of the lawsuit, but the decision to issue an arrest warrant. These decisions cannot have been made in the name of the Turkish nation, nor can they be conscientious. At best, it is a disgrace for the person who made the decision.”