Lawsuit filed against Erman Toroğlu: 'Up to 3 years in prison requested'

A lawsuit has been filed against former referee and famous sports commentator Erman Toroğlu due to his remarks regarding Galatasaray and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) during a television program he attended. The indictment requests that Toroğlu be sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison for the crime of "publicly disseminating misleading information."

Erman Toroğlu, one of the well-known faces of Turkish football on screen, has been brought to the corridors of the judiciary due to allegations he voiced during a live broadcast. The investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has been completed, and the prepared indictment has been accepted by the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance. Galatasaray Sports Club and Galatasaray Sportif Sınai ve Ticari Yatırımlar A.Ş. are listed as "complainants" in the case.

THE CAUSE OF THE CRISIS: ALLEGATION OF A MEETING BETWEEN ÖZBEK AND HACIOSMANOĞLU

The incident that is the subject of the investigation began with Toroğlu's statements on a television program broadcast live on February 8. During the program, the famous commentator claimed that Galatasaray Club President Dursun Özbek and TFF President İbrahim Hacıosmanoğlu held a secret meeting and that certain critical issues were discussed during this meeting.

INDICTMENT: "HE ATTEMPTED TO NEGATIVELY AFFECT TRUST AND CREATE A PERCEPTION"

In the indictment prepared by the prosecutor's office, it was emphasized that football is a field followed very closely by the public, and the following assessments were included:

It was stated that the suspect, outside of official statements made by state institutions and bodies, attempted to mislead the public and create a perception with information contrary to the truth that concerns public order, and negatively affected the trust in the state's institutional structures.

The indictment, which states that Toroğlu acted with the motive of creating anxiety, fear, or panic among the public, noted that the "publicity" element of the crime was established because the claims in question reached millions of people on television screens.

Erman Toroğlu, who is expected to appear before a judge in the coming days, will stand trial at the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance.