Turkey asks German court to gag media boss over Erdogan insult

A lawyer for Turkey’s president says he is seeking a court injunction against the head of one of Germany’s biggest publishing houses.

Mathias Doepfner, the chief executive of Axel Springer, has expressed solidarity with a TV comedian who wrote a crude poem about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdogan’s German lawyer Ralf Hoecker said Monday that he has petitioned the Cologne regional court because Doepfner had repeated an accusation of bestiality contained in the poem.

Hoecker said the court has already gagged a filmmaker who made a video inspired by the poem.

TV comedian Jan Boehmermann, who authored the poem, is being investigated on suspicion of insulting a foreign head of state. Under German law, the probe required government permission to go ahead, which was granted.

— AP

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.