Turkey arrests former MP over death threats against Erdoğan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former member of Turkish parliament Feyzi İşbaşaran was detained on Monday, Dec 8, in Istanbul over death threats against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

According to Daily Sabah, after his arrival from London, İşbaşaran was detained by police officers, who were informed on the whereabouts of the former MP, setting up a stakeout in front of a hotel he was staying in.

İşbaşaran was arrested for sending death threats via Twitter to Erdoğan and his wife. The former MP said that Erdoğan "definitely deserves death" as he was taken in to custody.

His tweets regarding Erdoğan were evaluated as the offense of "publicly insulting the president."

İşbaşaran had earlier threatened Armenian intellectual, senior advisor to Turkish Prime Minister and Daily Sabah columnist Etyen Mahçupyan, saying he is an "agent" and must be "taken down."

"Armenians would want peace when he [Mahçupyan] is killed. He is not Hrant!" İşbaşaran tweeted, giving reference to Hrant Dink, an Armenian journalist whose murder in 2007 led to a public outcry. İşbaşaran also insulted and threatened a disagreeing user on Twitter.

A lawyer attacked İşbaşaran while he was being brought to the court, while another group protested against his threats.

İşbaşaran used to represent the eastern province Elazığ for the ruling AK Party and center-right ANAP.

His bitter dispute with a police officer in 2009, including swears and threats, were taped and sent to media outlets as well as to then-Prime Minister Erdoğan. He resigned from AK Party in 2009 after the party administration sent him to the disciplinary committee for expulsion.

Prior to this incident, İşbaşaran claimed that there were "groups" within the police, conspiring against each other and against the government to start a dispute with the Turkish General Staff.