Turkey Protests Germany Over Satirical Erdogan Video

The Saga continues:

Turkey Wants Formal Investigation of German Anti-Erdogan Satire

BERLIN—Turkey formally requested that Germany investigate a television sketch that ridiculed the Turkish president, setting up a legal and diplomatic battle that pits relations between the two countries against Germany’s freedom-of-expression laws.

The Turkish government has expressed outrage over a poem recited by German comedy host Jan Böhmermann that made crude sexual jokes about President Tayyip Recep Erdogan. The spat comes at a critical time in German-Turkish relations, as Berlin is leaning on Mr. Erdogan to stem the flow of migrants and refugees who have been streaming for months through Turkey toward Germany.

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Under German criminal code, offending a foreign leader is punishable by up to three years in prison. To convict someone, the court must find that the alleged offense meets the legal criteria of being defamatory. For a probe to proceed, a foreign state has to formally request an investigation and the German government must allow it to move forward. Mr. Seibert stressed that Ms. Merkel regarded freedom of expression and press as key elements of Germany’s constitution. “Freedom of expression, art and science is of course treasured by the chancellor and nonnegotiable at home and abroad,” he said.

It is just funny that simple satire can drive people so nuts.

Here is the vid with Turkish subs, the English subs version is on the first page:

a reply to: Dumbass

That’s because German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that her government, while being fully committed to the principle of free speech, is considering a request from Turkey to file criminal charges against the host of a late-night television show on the state broadcaster, ZDF. His alleged crime? Joking about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s thin skin by reading examples of actual slanderous statements about him, in the form of a poem.

Germany Could Charge Comic for Insulting Turkey’s President

Yeah, right. Good old tax Euros at work. *sigh* He's under "police protection" by now...

Funny thing is, that's the actual topic in the german MSM. Not the Panama Papers, legal tax avoidance or the followup with protests in DC. None of that seems to matter.

" Free Press "

lol

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel had to decide whether Jan Böhmermann can be sued for his insulting poem after § 103 StGB. This old fashioned paragraph says that one can be sued for insulting a foreign leader of a government but the German government must approve this first.

After days of dicussions and consultations behind closed doors today at 13:00 local time Miss Merkel announced that she gives authorization to bring a charge against the comedian. She gets support from her own party but is critisized by all others, including the coalition partners of the SPD.

In a tele vote of chanel ntv 95% of the calling voters were of the oppinion that Merkel bowed before Erdogan because of the agreements regarding the refugee crises. After all it is up to the judges to make a decision in this case. But Merkel lost a lot when she made this announcement with an unusually shivering voice.

That § 103 StGB is now projected to be canceled within the next years, because it is too out of date. Still it must be used now in this case...

a reply to: Siddharta

The 'State of the Art' Shah paragraph, used abundantly by the Shah of Pervers... ähm... Persia.

Now that are some big footsteps the Erdogator jumped into, with a 'little' support from our helping angel Merkel of course.