ISTANBUL – Former Turkey soccer star Hakan Sukur goes on trial on Thursday at an Istanbul court in absentia on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on social media.
Sukur is one of several thousand people, including journalists, politicians and the occasional celebrity, to face legal proceedings on hugely controversial accusations of insulting the Turkish leader.
The lawyer of Sukur, one of the stars of Turkey’s third-place performance in the 2002 World Cup, tells the court that his client has moved to the United States.
Ali Onur Guncel says his client could give testimony from the United States if evidence provided by the defense was found to be insufficient.
According to Turkish media, Sukur accused Erdogan of theft in a tweet in February 2015, without naming him directly.
Prosecutors ask in the indictment for Sukur to serve up to four years in jail.
— AFP
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From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 16, 2016
