2025-03-26T14:50:06+00:00
Shafaq News/ Turkish police detained on Wednesday former beauty queen and model Banu Öztürk on charges of "insulting" President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Prosecutors in the Beykoz district of Istanbul launched an investigation into Öztürk—who was crowned Miss Turkiye in 2009—after she published critical posts on social media condemning the recent arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, according to Turkish media. Authorities deemed her remarks "defamatory," prompting swift legal action.
Öztürk, also known for her appearances in several television series and work in the fashion industry, is the latest public figure targeted under laws prohibiting insults against the president.
Her arrest comes amid a crackdown on anti-government demonstrations. Overnight, security forces detained [dozens](https://www.shafaq.com/en/World/Rising-tensions-US-concerned-over-mass-arrests-in-Turkiye) of protesters in Istanbul and Bursa, bringing the total number of arrests to more than 1,400 since the unrest erupted about a week ago in protest of the [arrest](https://www.shafaq.com/en/World/Turkiye-Istanbul-Mayor-suspended-amid-rising-tensions) of İmamoğlu, according to Turkish media.
Demonstrators accused the government of escalating repression and have pledged to continue their protests despite repeated clashes with police, while President Erdoğan has dismissed the unrest as nothing more than a "performance," insisting it will not "achieve its aims."