Turkey arrests five for insulting Erdogan

Turkish authorities have arrested five men for allegedly insulting President Erdogan on social media.

1 min read

14 April, 2016

The president has been accused on cracking down on freedom of expression [Getty]

Five men were arrested for "insulting" Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in what is seen as the country's latest step towards authoritarianism.

The suspects were accused of harming the reputation of the leader on social media, according to the local Dogan news agency.

A sixth person from the same southern province of Sanliurfa was also arrested but later released.

Concerns for the country's freedom of expression have increased in recent years with an estimated 2,000 people being arrested for insulting Erdogan since he became president in 2014.

But the leader has consistently denied cracking down on expression.

The news comes as a diplomatic row between Turkey and Germany erupted when a song broadcast on a German satirical show poked fun at the Turkish president.

Turkey last week summoned Germany's ambassador to protest the two-minute clip "Erdowie, Erdowo, Erdogan", which ridicules the president, his alleged extravagant spending and crackdown on civil liberties.

Turkey has demanded that Berlin prosecutes the TV satirist, Jan Bohmermann, for slander.