Union head, who was arrested after calling bread-eating societies 'stupid,' released
Union for Bread Producers Chair Cihan Kolivar, who was arrested after saying Turkish society voted for President Erdoğan for two decades because they "eat their fill with bread," has been released after spending nine days in prison.
Duvar English
An Istanbul court on late Nov. 17 released bakery union head Cihan Kolivar who was arrested after saying society's "stupid" fondness for bread explained why it had elected President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's governments for two decades.
Kolivar made the comments to broadcaster Habertürk on Nov. 7 as he spoke about the rising price of bread and Turkey's soaring inflation.
"Bread is the staple food for stupid societies. I speak scientifically, I am not making it up - per capita consumption is 210 kilos in Turkey; and 45-50 kilos in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Japan," Kolivar said.
"Since our society eats their fill with bread, such rulers have been ruling it for 20 years."
Kolivar, who was detained for "publicly insulting the Turkish nation" on Nov. 9, was arrested for “insulting the President” because of some of his past tweets.