Turkish Worker Arrested After Protest Banner and Phone Thrown at Erdoğan Rally

A Turkish textile worker has been arrested for staging a dramatic protest during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s speech at a hospital opening ceremony in Istanbul on April 19. The protester, 44-year-old N.K., a father of three, unfurled banners criticizing the ruling AK Party and threw his mobile phone toward the presidential platform.

The banners read: “AK Party is the cause, inflation is the result” and “Don’t use God’s religion, Reis”—the latter a direct message to Erdoğan, often nicknamed “Reis” (chief) by his supporters.

Protest During Erdoğan’s Public Address

The incident occurred at the opening of the Bağcılar Women and Children’s Hospital, where Erdoğan was delivering a public speech. Witnesses said N.K. threw his phone into the space between himself and the stage, drawing the attention of security forces, who quickly detained him.

He was later arrested by the 6th Criminal Court of Peace in Istanbul, accused of disrupting a public event and potentially endangering the president—charges that his lawyer strongly denies.

“I Only Wanted My Voice Heard”

According to his statement, N.K. claimed he had no intention of harming Erdoğan.

“There’s no other way to reach him,” he said. “I just wanted the president to hear and see me. I threw my phone into the gap near the stage so I could get his attention.”

He added that the economic hardship facing average citizens was what motivated his protest.

“I’ve previously protested in front of AKP’s Istanbul headquarters. I wanted to express how hard life has become for working-class families.”

Banners Meant to Highlight Economic Inequality

In his defense, N.K. explained that the controversial “religion” banner was a reference to the widening income gap in what he called a Muslim-majority country.

“Islam teaches us to care for the poor. I wanted to highlight the injustice of growing wealth inequality and ask for solutions to inflation and poverty.”

Lawyer: No Intent to Harm or Insult

N.K.’s attorney argued in court that the criminal elements of defamation or attempted harm were absent.

“He has a permanent address, no flight risk, and no intention of tampering with evidence. The phone was thrown not at the president, but at the stage gap. The protest was symbolic,” the lawyer said.

Despite the plea, the judge ruled for continued detention of N.K., drawing backlash from opposition figures and human rights groups calling for his release.