From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Turkish artist faces jail for ‘insulting’ Erdogan
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleA prominent Turkish sculptor risks over four years in prison on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after being locked in a dispute with the Turkish strongman over one of his works.
In March, a court found Erdogan guilty of insulting Mehmet Aksoy for calling the artist’s “Monument of Humanity” — created to promote reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia — a “monstrosity.”
The Ankara court ordered Erdogan to pay Aksoy 10,000 Turkish Liras ($3,750) in damages for insulting the renowned sculptor.
But now, prosecutors are seeking 56 months in prison for Aksoy on the grounds that he insulted the president in a comment on the controversy.
Prosecutors say that Aksoy implied that Erdogan’s earnings were illegitimate, an allegation the sculptor denies.
— AFP
The Times of Israel Community.