Canan Kaftancıoğlu, the former Istanbul Provincial Chairman of the CHP, who was tried for allegedly "insulting" the President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, appeared before the judge in the second hearing of the case at the Istanbul 53rd Criminal Court of First Instance.
Stating that he could not understand how his post constituted the crime of "insult", Kaftancıoğlu began his defense by saying, "That's why I don't know how to defend myself."
“PERHAPS I JOINED HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY POLITICAL LIFE”
Emphasizing that the statements he made in his post were the same as those used by Erdoğan in his post, Kaftancıoğlu said, "Perhaps it was the first time I joined him politically and I quoted and tweeted. Then, the person who filed a criminal complaint against me should also be sued for 'insult'."
“I QUOTED THE EXACT SAME”
Kaftancıoğlu continued his words by saying, "I quoted and wrote the exact same thing," and defended himself by saying, "I know it is not an insult, what I said is the truth, just like I said now."
“IF THESE STATEMENTS ARE INSULTS, THE PRESIDENT ALSO HAS THE SAME INTENTION”
Kaftancıoğlu concluded his words by saying, "If these statements are to be considered 'insult', then I would like to state that the President also has the same intention."
"THE PROSECUTION PROBABLY DID NOT KNOW THE MEANING OF 'BWYTÜLMAL'"
Kaftancıoğlu's lawyers defended themselves by saying, "With what sentence and with what word was the President insulted? The complainant was obviously bored, and the prosecutor's office probably did not know the meaning of the word 'beytülmal', so here is a case in which everyone's time is wasted."
Stating that the material and moral elements of the accusation against Kaftancıoğlu have not been formed, the lawyers said, "Is this file brought before us because one of the parties is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the other is Canan Kaftancıoğlu? There are two people saying the same thing. They say the same thing, there is no insult in what they say."
Lawyers demanding Kaftancıoğlu's acquittal said, "Beytülmal means 'state treasury' in the dictionary. The complainant obviously does not know the meaning of the word. The criminal trial does not proceed by looking at who the people are. The prosecution made an assumption in reading the intent. They prepared an indictment by saying 'If Canan Kaftancıoğlu tweeted, she meant this.'"
ERDOĞAN'S LAWYERS COMPLAINED ONCE AGAIN
Later, the lawyers of the President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who were included in the file as "complainants", took the floor.
Lawyers demanded that Kaftancıoğlu be punished, arguing that the statements in Kaftancıoğlu's post, in which he quoted from Erdoğan's post, were directed at him and contained an insult.
PROSECUTOR REQUESTED PENALTY
The hearing prosecutor then announced his opinion and requested punishment for Kaftancıoğlu.
THE HEARING HAS BEEN POSTPONED
The judge accepted Kaftancıoğlu's lawyers' request for time to make a written statement and decided that the next hearing would be held on December 10.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Erdoğan shared a post on his social media account on April 30, 2025, including the following statement: "It is our duty to ensure that whoever reaches out to Bethlehem is held accountable within the framework of the principles of the rule of law, regardless of their identity."
Quoting Erdoğan's post, Kaftancıoğlu said, "It is our duty too... The days when those who laid hands on Beytülmale will be judged are near."
Upon the complaint made to CİMER about the post in question, an investigation was launched against Kaftancıoğlu, and in the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was requested that Kaftancıoğlu be punished for the crime of "insulting the President".
While Kaftancıoğlu did not attend the first hearing held on May 21 at the Istanbul 53rd Criminal Court of First Instance, Erdoğan's lawyer requested to participate in the case "due to the possibility of being harmed by the crime." While the court accepted the request and decided that Erdoğan would participate in the case, it decided to "bring him by force" regarding Kaftancıoğlu.
