The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has summoned journalist and Platform for Independent Journalism (P24) Chairman Hasan Cemal to testify because of a column titled “The number one [person] who is responsible for the bloodshed is the sultan in the palace, period!”
The sultan in the headline apparently refers to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the accompanying column says Erdogan is responsible for the current bloodshed in Turkey, Today’s Zaman reports.
Cemal was called to testify in the case and was told that if he did not appear voluntarily he would be brought in by the police. The written notice of Cemal’s investigation was signed by Istanbul public prosecutor Umut Tepe.
Cemal received the prestigious Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism from Harvard University this year.