[Hurriyet Daily News] Turkish journalist Hasan Cemal has denied allegations that he "defamed the Turkish president," during an appearance in an Istanbul court as part of two separate investigations launched into two of his articles published on the news website T24. Cemal said the two articles subject to the investigations were not intended to defame anyone, but were political criticisms, adding, "politicians should tolerate such criticisms and critical articles can sometimes be bold," as he appeared in the courthouse in Istanbul's Caglayan district on Sept. 30.
"I have been a journalist for 47 years. There is nothing insulting or defaming in the articles in question. Not in any single word or in the entire text," he said. "However,
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this article is a political criticism. A critical article can sometimes be bold, and is regarded as being within the context of freedom of expression in democratic societies," Cemal told Emin Aydinc, the prosecutor heading the investigations.
"Lawmakers should tolerate criticism," Cemal said.
Previously in early September, two separate investigations were launched into the two articles, titled "The sultan in the palace is culpable for the bloodshed" and "Hey, you" on the charge of one count of "defaming the Turkish president."