Lawyers acting on behalf of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan filed a criminal complaint against a Greek newspaper on Monday which recently ran a headline using offensive language about the Turkish leader.
Turkey’s official Anadolu News Agency reports that the complaint is against those in charge of the newspaper “Dimokratia,” which last Friday published a headline in Turkish which said “Siktir Git Mr. Erdogan” (“F*** Off Mr. Erdogan”).
The Turkish Foreign Ministry had already summoned Greece’s ambassador over the headline.
“On behalf of the Turkish government, I condemn in the strongest terms the publication of insults directed at our President… on the front page of an extreme right newspaper,” Fahrettin Altun, communications director at the Turkish presidency, wrote in a letter to Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas, which was made public Saturday.
He urged Greece to bring to account those responsible for the “shameless” action.
The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs replied that the use of offensive language is condemned, but added that freedom of the press is fully protected in Greece.
Following is the announcement in full:
“Freedom of expression and freedom of the Press are fully protected in Greece.
This fact does not negate the obligation to refrain from insulting the personality of any individual, particularly a foreign leader.
The use of offensive language is contrary to our country’s political culture and can only be condemned.”
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