A Turkish court on Tuesday sentenced far-right politician Ümit Özdağ to two years and four months in prison for inciting public hatred and hostility, but ordered his release due to time already served.
Özdağ, 64, leader of the anti-immigrant Victory Party and a former academic, was detained in January after allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a party meeting. He was formally arrested the next day on charges of inciting hatred against migrants and was blamed for sparking anti-Syrian refugee riots in Kayseri, where hundreds of homes and businesses were attacked.
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Known as a vocal critic of Turkey’s refugee policies, Özdağ has repeatedly called for the return of millions of Syrian refugees. During the trial, he denied encouraging violence and claimed his imprisonment was politically motivated.
The sentencing comes amid a wider crackdown on opposition figures. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a leading figure in the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), was detained in March on corruption charges. Several officials from CHP-controlled municipalities have also been arrested this year.
Critics and polls suggest that many Turks view the prosecutions as politically driven. The Erdoğan government, by contrast, maintains that the judiciary operates independently.
Özdağ’s release adds to rising political tension, with opposition leaders accusing Erdoğan’s government of using the courts to silence dissent ahead of expected political shifts.