Turkish cartoonists fined for implying President is gay
Two Turkish cartoonists have escaped jail for suggesting President Tayyip Erdogan is gay.
They published a cartoon in satirical magazine Penguen in which the President greets an official, who is making a hand gesture used to mock gay people in Turkey. The case was brought against them after a reader complained the cartoon was against the country’s moral values. Lawyers representing President Erdogan pushed for a conviction for “insulting a public official”.
The pair were facing 11 months in jail, but were spared based on good behaviour during the trial. They have been fined 7,000 Turkish lira (£1,830).
Being gay has been legal in Turkey since 1858, but the country is still largely conservative on the issue, will no legal rights or protections for LGBT people. Many people – including a 13 year old boy – have faced legal trouble for insulting President Erdogan.
