Turkish opposition leader avoids prosecution

By Baris Gundogan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Istanbul’s Chief Public Prosecutor's Office decided Tuesday not to prosecute the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader for insulting the president, a judicial source said.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said prosecutors said Kemal Kilicdaroglu would not be prosecuted for "insulting a public officer".

On Aug. 5, 2014, while answering journalists' questions, Kilicdaroglu claimed during the presidential campaign that Recep Tayyip Erdogan was not a candidate of the nation and went on to use abusive language targeting the president.

Two weeks after the July 15 coup attempt, Erdogan said that he was withdrawing cases against those charged with insulting him, including the CHP leader.

However, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kadir Yilmaz issued a bill of indictment against Kilicdaroglu for comments made about the president's son, Bilal Erdogan, the source said.

Kilicdaroglu claimed Bilal Erdogan had accepted a bribe through the Turkish Youth and Education Service Foundation, of which he is a board member. He is charged with pronouncing a "heavy insult through media".

The source added the indicment sought a prison sentence ranging from four months to two years, eight months for Kilicdaroglu.