Turkish prosecutors seek up to 4 years in jail for man for posting photo with alcoholic beverage in mosque

Duvar English

Turkish prosecutors have prepared an indictment against a Turkish man for posting a picture with an alcohol bottle in a mosque on Reddit, seeking up to four years in jail for him.

The man is accused of “publicly insulting the religious values adopted by a segment of the public” and “inciting the public to hatred and enmity” because of his post in question.

The 19-year-old man was arrested on Sept. 16 after posting a photo on Reddit with an alcohol bottle inside a mosque, saying “If they (the police) can find which mosque (I am in) among 3,200 mosques…”

According to the indictment prepared by the Anatolian Chief Prosecutor's Office, the arrested man said in his testimony that he was arguing with his friend about religion, “then I went to the mosque, took out the bottle of vodka and drank it while sitting in the yard.”

“(While watching a video on social media) I took a photo in the mosque with vodka. My aim was to make humor. I'm very regretful. I had no intention of making fun of religion. My family are people who (are religious). Alcohol had a negative impact on my behavior that day,” he added.

In the indictment, prosecutor İsmail Teker argued “Turks are a nation known for its tolerance and helpfulness. Spiritual values are the whole of values that have been transferred from past generations to the present with respect and tolerance, and that serve to keep society together.”

“The suspect's actions regarding the issues specified in the incident subject to investigation and his posts on different dates cannot be evaluated as a sudden event. When evaluated together with his previous posts of a similar nature, it was concluded that the suspect's statements about getting rid of the crime cannot be relied upon,” the prosecutor added, and sought from one year, six months to four years in prison for the suspect.