ISTANBUL — ISTANBUL (AP) — An imprisoned Turkish journalist appeared in court docket on Friday to defend himself towards accusations that he threatened President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a case that critics view as an try and silence a outstanding voice towards the federal government.

Fatih Altayli, a veteran journalist whose YouTube program attracts lots of of hundreds of views each day, was detained from his house in June, and charged with issuing and publicly disseminating a menace towards the president. He faces a minimal five-year jail sentence. Altayli, 63, strongly denies the accusation.

The cost was primarily based on a remark he made on his program, “Fatih Altayli Feedback,” following a ballot that reportedly confirmed greater than 70% of the general public opposed a lifetime presidency for Erdogan, who has been in energy for greater than 20 years.

On his program, Altayli stated he wasn’t shocked by the results of the ballot and that the Turkish folks most well-liked checks on authority.

“Have a look at the historical past of this nation,” he stated. “This can be a nation which strangled its sultan after they didn’t like him or need him. There are fairly a couple of Ottoman sultans who had been assassinated, strangled, or whose deaths had been made to appear to be suicide.”

Within the opening listening to, Altayli rejected the accusation, saying he had persistently supported the weak all through his profession and had no intention of constructing a menace. He urged the judges to look at his speech.

“Within the greater than 40 years of my skilled life — and all through my total life — I’ve by no means threatened a single particular person, whether or not weaker or stronger than me,” the Sozcu newspaper quoted Altayli as telling the panel of judges. “Quite the opposite, I’ve at all times been the one threatened.”

Regardless of his incarceration, the journalist, columnist and tv presenter whose profession spans a long time, has continued to ship information and political commentary on his YouTube channel by letters relayed by his legal professionals and browse aloud by his assistant.

With a majority of mainstream media in Turkey owned by pro-government companies or instantly managed by the federal government, many impartial journalists have turned to YouTube for uncensored reporting.

A complete of 17 journalists and different media sector staff, together with Altayli, are at the moment behind bars, in line with the Turkish Journalists Syndicate. The federal government insists the journalists face prosecution for felony acts, not for his or her journalistic work.