School teachers facing probe for ‘insulting president’ during protest
Demonstrators from Eğitim-Sen attend a protest against government’s education policies on Feb. 13 in Kocaeli. (Photo: Cihan)
March 14, 2015, Saturday/ 14:14:10/ TODAYSZAMAN.COM / ISTANBUL
Some 29 people, including school teachers and officials of an education personnel union, are facing investigation on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with slogans during a protest march in February.
The investigation was launched by the police at the request of the Kocaeli Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Police have begun questioning the 29 people about slogans chanted during the demonstration in the provinceon Feb. 13, which allegedly contain insults against Erdoğan.
The Feb. 13 protest was held in protest of the government's education policies and to call for measures to protect the secular nature of the education system.
In addition to school teachers, those who face probe include local executives of the Education Personnel Union (Eğitim-Sen) and the Kocaeli provincial chairman of the leftist Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP).
Dozens of people, including journalists, activists and even high school students, have been prosecuted under an article of the criminal code, which prohibits insulting the president.
Eğitim-Sen Kocaeli Suca Omurca, one of the 29 people who face probe, said the slogans chanted during the protest did not contain insult. “The purpose [of the probe] is to intimidate people,” Omurca was quoted as saying by Cihan news agency. “But we will not be intimidated.”
He said the protesters wanted to raise their voice against “chaotic” education policies of the government and favoritism in key education posts. “We expected the government to hear our voice. But instead of hearing us, the prosecutor's office launched an investigation,” he said. “The prosecutor's office tries to create an impression that we insult the president even by our smallest action. They are trying to impose pressure on us.”
http://www.todayszaman.com/national_school-teachers-facing-probe-for-insulting-president-during-protest_375243.html
