A Turkish journalist has been sentenced to 4 years and 2 months in prison for threats against President Erdogan.

Turkish journalist Fatih Altayli was sentenced on Wednesday to four years and two months in prison for 'threatening' President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to the media defense organization MLSA. Altayli was arrested at the end of June after commenting on a poll showing that the majority of Turks oppose Erdogan's lifetime presidency, mentioning that many Ottoman sultans were 'assassinated' or 'strangled'.

Held in Silivri prison in Istanbul, the journalist has significant influence, with 2.8 million followers on X and nearly 1.7 million on YouTube. During interrogations, Altayli stated that he only provided 'historical context', without the intention of threatening anyone. The organization Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey 159th out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index.