Merve Buyuksarac: Former Miss Turkey Convicted Of Insulting President Erdogan

Former Miss Turkey Merve Buyuksarac was convicted of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which earned her a suspended jail sentence of 14 months. The 27-year-old beauty queen was accused of sharing an offensive poem which mocked the president and Turkey’s national anthem, via her Instagram account in 2014.

The Turkish law, which prohibits defaming or insulting the president, has been in existence for decades. However, Erdogan, who was named president in 2014, has been notoriously strict in his enforcement of this law.

In the last two years, an estimated 2,000 cases have been filed against Turkish residents and others accused of defaming or insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Erdo?an’a hakaret davas?nda s?ra Merve Büyüksaraç’ta! https://t.co/HCc5vTSGKs #Erdo?anaHerYerTuerkiye #erdogan pic.twitter.com/tBYDDqZ34F

— Man?et Haber (@mansethaber) May 31, 2016

The New York Times reports the penalty for insulting Turkey’s president can carry a sentence up to four years in prison. However, a majority of those convicted are sentenced to one year or less, and many sentences are suspended.

Responding to a social media post which was critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said, “Nobody should have the freedom to swear.”

“I don’t think you could read this without blushing… It is not an expression of opinion, it is all swears and insults.”

A majority of those arrested and charged with insulting the president are public figures, including athletes, journalists, and politicians. However, the accused have also included young adults and schoolchildren who were simply expressing their opinion about the country’s government or laws.

‘Erdo?an’a hakaret’te bugün: Türkiye güzeli Merve Büyüksaraç’a bir y?l iki buçuk ay hapishttps://t.co/q55JHWM3Lb pic.twitter.com/cDsqg9olCh

— Diken (@DikenComTr) May 31, 2016

Former Miss Turkey Merve Buyuksarac said she was simply sharing a social media post which she did not create. Hurriyet Daily News reports she did not intend to insult President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“The poem I’ve shared was shared 960,000 times on social media. I shared the poem via giving quotes from it. The comments near the pictures and the poems, which are in the bill of indictment, don’t belong to me… I’m regretful that the post I shared was perceived as an insult.”

Erdogan’s attorney, Hatice Özay, disagrees. In a statement about the charges, the attorney said, “An attack took place against the personal rights of my client. We want the defendant to be punished.”

Although Merve Buyuksarac’s sentence was suspended, she is facing more than one year in prison if she is charged with a similar offense in the next 14 months.

The former Miss Turkey’s arrest underlines the ongoing controversy surrounding President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his persecution of those who insult he or his administration.

Some critics have suggested that the president is not simply overzealous. Medical professionals and opposition members of the Turkish government are among those who have stated that Erdogan is actually suffering from mental illness.

In an interview, which was published by Sydney Morning Herald, Dr. Aytun Ciray said, “As a doctor, I do not think Erdogan is in his right mind – a psychiatrist had better study him.”

The Herald also quoted Dr. Haluk Koc, who has a similar opinion of Turkey’s president.

“I told you 10 years ago that Erdogan was sick. He thinks that he owns the state – he wants to be president, prime minister, sheikh al-Islam and AKP president, all at the same time. He’s in a dreadful psychological state.”

Merve Buyuksarac was crowned Miss Turkey in 2006. In addition to being a beauty queen, the 27-year-old woman enjoys competitive ice dancing.

Following her reign as Miss Turkey, Buyuksarac studied industrial design at Yeditepe University, and she is currently employed in that field.

Although she apologized for offending President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Merve Buyuksarac’s attorneys plan to appeal the court’s decision. In their opinion, the charges were unfounded because their client was prosecuted for a statement that was not hers.

[AP Photo/Emrah Gurel, File]