Journalist in Turkey arrested for tweet making fun of a 13th-century sultan

Kurdish journalist Oktay Candemir was arrested on Monday for making fun of an upcoming Turkish TV series about a 13th-century Ottoman sultan.

From .coda:

Authorities didn't find it funny and Candemir now faces up to two years in prison. He was briefly placed under house arrest and, while his case is pending, remains subject to a foreign travel ban. According to U.S.-based organization the Committee to Protect Journalists, his computer was confiscated by police.

"This is a clear abuse of power," said Erol Onderoglu of Reporters Without Borders, adding that Candemir's arrest reflects "the sensitivity of local authorities" around historical figures now being appropriated by the country's nationalist movement.

The growing tendency towards the glorification of Turkey's past, largely promoted by allies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party, is sometimes referred to as Neo-Ottomanism.

Dirili Erturul ve Kurulu Osman'dan sonra imdi de TRT'de Uyan Selcuklu balyor. Srada; Bayl Yavuz, Ayl Fatih, Yat Kanuni, Kalk 4.Murat, Szlay Abdulhamit, Yalvar Vahdettin var(!) pic.twitter.com/RNaRsouzxK

- Oktay Candemir (@oktaycandemir) September 3, 2020