96-year-old woman accused of 'insulting' Erdoğan bursts into tears after mistaking politicians for policemen

A 96-year-old woman accused of "insulting" President Erdoğan has burst into tears after mistaking politicians, who wanted to visit her at her home, for policemen. The woman thought that police arrived to detain her, according to DEVA politicians.

Wednesday November 10 2021 12:47 pm

Fatma Keber / DUVAR

A 96-year-old woman accused of "insulting" President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan despite not having criminal liability has burst into tears after mistaking politicians, who visited her home, for policemen in the southeastern province of Urfa.

Politicians from the Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA) wanted to visit Aliye Yabansu to show support in the face of said charges, but the elderly woman thought that the men were actually police officers who arrived to detain her.

"She thought we were at her home to detain her. She started crying. Since her hearing is not so well, we were able to tell her who we are with the help of her relatives," DEVA Urfa provincial chair Ahmet Tüysüz told Duvar.

"This is the first time we're witnessing such an inhumane state of the judiciary," he added.

Yabansu is accused of "insulting" Erdoğan in a video shared on social media without her approval. She has a hospital report exempting her from criminal liability.

DEVA leader Ali Babacan said that he was left speechless upon seeing the news of the 96-year-old woman bursting into tears.

"I can't find anything to say. Such a shame," Babacan tweeted on Nov. 9.

Diyecek söz bulamıyorum. Yazıklar olsun. https://t.co/tky2EvaAPc
— Ali Babacan (@alibabacan) November 9, 2021

Thousands of people are being tried for "insulting" Erdoğan in Turkey.