Turkish footballer risks jail over tweets insulting president
The Turkish legendary footballer Hakan Sukur, who left behind some lasting moments in the country’s football history, now faces charges that could put him behind bars for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The private Dogan news agency reported on Wednesday that prosecutors have charged Sukur with posting tweets that insulted Erdogan and his son.
Sukur’s indictment has been approved by the court and a first hearing is planned for the coming weeks, the report said.
Sukur said the tweets were not intended to offend the president. The content of the tweets which were reportedly posted on his personal account @HakanSukur was not made clear.
However, prosecutors rejected the claims, saying the tweets were “clearly related” to Erdogan. If convicted, the 44-year-old Sukur faces up to four years in prison, according to the charges.
The football icon, who left the pitch in 2007 after 20 years of prolific career, is still regarded as the best striker in the history of Turkish football. Sukur scored 51 times in 112 appearances for the national team. The veteran footballer was also part of the Turkish team in the 2002 World Cup, where the outfit ended in a historic third place.
Sukur became involved in politics after retiring from football and was elected in 2011 as a lawmaker from Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). He then resigned in 2013 in the wake of a major investigation into the conduct of Erdogan and other members of the AKP leadership.
He then sided with Erdogan’s rival, the US-based preacher, Fethullah Gulen. He once criticized the Turkish government for closing down the schools run by Gulen's movement, Hizmet.
The Turkish judiciary has charged many people, including journalists, bloggers and ordinary people, over insulting Erdogan and his inner circle.
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