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Malatya Atatürk statue controversy sparks criminal complaints
Citizen Irfan Yılmaz posted a TikTok video in which he criticised a naked young‑figure statue standing beside the 80‑year‑old Atatürk monument in Malatya, Turkey. The video quickly spread on social media and prompted the local branches of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Good Party (İYİ Parti) to file criminal complaints against Yılmaz under law No. 5816, alleging an insult to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
Yılmaz rejected the accusations, saying his remarks targeted the statue, not Atatürk, and that he was calling for the removal of the figure, which he described as a relic from a 1945‑46 donation campaign that funded the monument and its surrounding sculptures. The parties described the statue and the video as unacceptable, announced that legal proceedings had begun, and called for the statue’s removal. The incident generated public debate and political reaction within Malatya.
Entities
Irfan Yılmaz · Malatya, Turkey · Mustafa Kemal Atatürk · Republican People’s Party (CHP) · İYİ Party
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] CHP and İYİ Parti called the statue and the video unacceptable and demanded the statue’s removal. www.sozcu.com.tr · www.haksozhaber.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Malatya Atatürk monument was funded by a 1945‑46 donation campaign, part of which financed the surrounding statues. www.sozcu.com.tr
- [● 3 SOURCES] Irfan Yılmaz posted a TikTok video criticizing a naked statue near the Atatürk monument in Malatya. www.sozcu.com.tr · www.malatyaguncel.com · www.haksozhaber.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] The legal process was initiated by the local branches of CHP and İYİ Parti in Malatya. www.sozcu.com.tr · www.haksozhaber.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] Irfan Yılmaz denied insulting Atatürk, stating his criticism was directed at the statue. www.sozcu.com.tr · www.haksozhaber.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The statue is an 80‑year‑old figure with exposed buttocks located at the Malatya Atatürk monument. www.haksozhaber.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] The incident sparked public debate and political reaction in Malatya. www.sozcu.com.tr · www.haksozhaber.net
- [● 2 SOURCES] CHP and İYİ Parti filed criminal complaints against Irfan Yılmaz under law No. 5816 alleging insult to Atatürk. www.sozcu.com.tr · www.haksozhaber.net