Man cites 'insult on president' as cause for violence against woman

A Turkish man has alleged that an "insult on president [Recep Tayyip Erdo?an]" caused him to assault his fiancé, initiating a process whereby the woman had to testify on violating the controversial Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) which foresees imprisonment for defamations against the president.

A Belgian woman of Turkish origin, Hülya B., began living with her fiancé, Kadir E., in Istanbul's Küçükçekmece district some four months ago. 

According to Hülya B.'s testimony, the man assaulted her on March 23 after the couple quarrelled.

"Kadir had previously threatened to make me blind, throw me out a window and kill me, and he beat me as well," she said in her complaint against the man at a police station. 

Kadir E. was detained by the police but denied all charges during his testimony. 

Speaking to the police, the man referred to Article 299 of the TCK, which states that "A person who defames the president of the Republic [of Turkey] shall be imprisoned for a term of one to four years," and alleged that the aforementioned fight broke out only because his fiancé had insulted Erdo?an.

Kadir E. claimed that the quarrel happened as they were watching news of an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attack in Belgium, when Kadir E. complained to Hülya B. that unlike the attack in Brussels, no one feels sorrow when attacks target Turkey.

"Hülya cursed and said, 'These explosions happened because of Tayyip [Erdo?an]. My homeland is Belgium,'" the man explained, admitting that he "pushed" her in response.

After the man's testimony, Hülya B. was called by police to testify about defaming the president, where she denied the allegation. 

While Hülya B. was released, Kadir E. faces...