A Turkish court has sentenced nine protesters to prison while they await trial after they interrupted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s speech in Istanbul last week.
The pro-Palestinian demonstrators accused Erdogan’s government of continuing to export oil to Israel despite a publicly declared embargo.
The protest took place during Erdogan’s televised address at a forum on Friday, where the protesters voiced their frustration and anger over the government’s failure to act in line with its pro-Palestinian rhetoric.
Chanting slogans like “Ships are carrying bombs to Gaza” and “Stop fuelling genocide,” the activists sought to draw attention to the issue.
Erdogan was interrupted 2 times during the event, second time he rebuked the protesters, saying, “My child, don’t become the mouthpiece of Zionists here. No matter how much you try to provoke by acting as their voice, mouth, and eyes, you will not succeed. Zionists around the world know very well where Tayyip Erdogan stands. But it seems you still haven’t understood.”
The demonstrators were removed by police, and prosecutors immediately charged them with insulting the president and participating in an illegal protest.
The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office indicated that the group had coordinated their protest both inside and outside the venue, leading to their detention pending trial.
Although only 2 people interrupted Erdogan’s speech, a total of 9 people were sent to prison, including individuals who were with the protesters but were outside the event.
The arrests have sparked strong criticism from opposition figures and human rights advocates. Opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel condemned the detentions as a significant blow to democracy.
“The arrest of nine young people who protested Erdogan is a stark reminder of how far our country’s democracy has deteriorated,” Ozel stated. “These individuals were exercising their right to free speech and should be released immediately.”
