Investigation Under Way Regarding Uzan Speech

Bursa Republican Attorney General Emin Ozler said an investigation, to be carried out in accordance with the 159th article of the Turkish Criminal Code (TCK), was started following a speech of the GP leader Cem Uzan. Ozler stated yesterday that the written permission by the Justice Ministry to open an investigation into the speeches by Uzan about Erdogan has not yet been received by the office of the attorney general. The investigation will be started immediately following the arrival of the permission at the attorney general’s offices.

According to the investigation, Erdogan would have the right to file a lawsuit against Uzan on the grounds that the latter was ‘committing a crime against state officials through his roles and services’, in addition to ‘cursing’ and ‘insulting’ a state official. These accusations are in accordance with the 480th, 482nd and 273rd articles of the Turkish Crime Code (TCK). If Uzan’s speech is found to contain enough evidence, he can be tried according to the 159th article of the TCK. The accusations would be wide, from ‘openly insulting and baiting the Turkish people,’ to ‘insulting the Republic, the Parliament, the spiritual personality of the government, the ministries, the justice of the security maintenance and the military forces of the state.’