Turkey opens investigation after Greek newspaper insults Erdogan

Sep 21, 2020

Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation over a headline that insulted Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a Greek newspaper last week. 

On Friday, right-wing Greek newspaper Dimokratia published the headline “F*** off, Mr. Erdogan” in Turkish, along with an English translation, in a story about the two NATO countries’ dispute over drilling rights in the Mediterranean Sea. 

According to state-run Anadolu Agency, Erdogan’s lawyer, Huseyin Aydin, has filed a criminal complaint with the Ankara prosecutor’s office. The complaint described the author of the article, two editors and the newspaper’s editor-in-chief as “suspects.” Prosecutors in the capital, Ankara, have since launched an investigation into the newspaper. 

“Considering the silence of the Greek public, it is understood that this moral collapse is not limited to marginal segments,” the complaint said, according to Anadolu, describing swearing as “a great shame.” 

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry summoned Greece’s ambassador over the “despicable headline” on Friday. Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, called on Greece to hold those responsible for the “shameless” headline to account.