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Prominent opposition journalist Enver Aysever was detained at his home late last night and subsequently formally arrested by a court following comments made on his YouTube broadcast targeting right-wing ideology.
The prosecution referred Aysever to the court with a request for arrest on charges of "inciting the public to hatred and hostility or insulting."
After giving his statement at the Kucukcekmece Courthouse, the Criminal Judgeship of Peace ordered his imprisonment.
The controversy stems from Aysever's critique of Hasan Imamoglu, the father of the jailed Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.
Hasan Imamoglu, whose family assets were seized following his son's arrest, had recently expressed regret for "fighting against communism" in the past, noting that the current administration seizes property just as he feared communists would.
Aysever criticized Hasan Imamoglu's worldview, arguing that the threat comes from the current capitalist structure, not communism.
"Banks seize people's property with high interest; the gangs of five who get tenders seize it... Right-wing politics is a crime. When you are right-wing, you become immoral. A person with a conscience is a leftist," Aysever said.
Facing backlash on social media before his arrest, Aysever claimed his words were distorted.
"I interpreted Hasan Imamoglu's words," he wrote.
"The definition I made for right-wingers referred to types like those who seize state property, massacre nature, fake religious people, those who use nationalism and tender-chasing rich people."
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