22.06.2025 11:00
The statement of journalist Fatih Altaylı, who was detained on charges of "threatening and insulting the President," has emerged. Altaylı stated that the broadcast and the sentences he used were his own, but he did not intend them as threats or insults. He said, "Honestly, it never crossed my mind that there could be a perception of threat to the current President from this historical information."
A probe has been launched against journalist Fatih Altaylı due to his threatening remarks targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. In a statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was noted that an investigation was initiated ex officio against Altaylı for the crime of "threatening the President" due to his remarks targeting President Erdoğan during a broadcast on his YouTube social media channel named after himself.
FATIH ALTAYLI ARRESTED
It was reported that Fatih Altaylı was captured and taken into custody today in accordance with the instructions given to the Istanbul Police Department.
"I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT OF IT"
Altaylı gave a statement at the police station regarding the accusation of "threatening and insulting the President." According to information shared by İsmail Saymaz from HalkTV, Altaylı stated the following in his testimony:
"The broadcast and the sentences in question belong to me, but I had no intention of threatening or insulting the President. In a survey conducted by a research company, citizens were asked whether they approve of President Erdoğan continuing to serve as President under the condition of life, and seventy percent of the citizens stated that they would not approve of such a constitutional change. In my comments on this issue, I said that the Turkish people have loved and embraced being active in state governance through voting since the Tanzimat period and that they do not like to grant permission for any individual to hold high-level positions in the state without their own will and oversight. Frankly, I never even thought that these historical facts could be perceived as a threat to the current President.
"I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE"
I am not responsible for the fact that my words, which were merely intended to provide historical information, have been deliberately distorted to make it seem as if I were threatening the President. In my 45-year career, I have written countless television programs and columns in the last 30 years. In any of these, I have never threatened any citizen, let alone the President. No lawsuit has even been filed against me regarding this accusation. Here, I had no intention of threatening, nor would I ever think of threatening or insulting President Erdoğan, whom I personally know. I have always exercised my right to criticize, but threatening is something I would never do."
WHAT DID ALTAYLI SAY ON THE PROGRAM?
In the video in question, Altaylı's program partner states, "The public was asked whether Erdoğan should remain President for life, and 70% opposed this."
After expressing that this rate was what he expected, Altaylı states that "the Turkish people love the ballot box and want the power to be in their hands."
Altaylı, who says that (the Turkish people) "like to choose their father, to place their father there, and to hold the possibility of changing their father," continues his remarks by saying, "This is not something new; it is not a recent past. Look back to the distant past; this nation is one that has strangled its sultan. It is not a small number of Ottoman sultans who were killed or fell victim to assassination," he adds.
Later, correcting his words about "those who fell victim to assassination," Altaylı uses the expression, "Let's not say assassination, but those who fell victim to a conspiracy or were strangled or those Ottoman sultans who were given the appearance of having committed suicide."
Continuing from this part, Altaylı states, "That is why the Turkish people do not like having their right to choose taken away or having the right to determine their own fate taken away," bringing the topic back to the results of the survey mentioned at the beginning of this section.