Turkey investigates misinformation regarding judicial decision

An investigation has been launched into the public dissemination of misleading information following viral social media claims regarding a judicial decision. The claims alleged that a prosecutor used the phrase ‘it could not be understood what the suspect was experiencing’ in a non-prosecution decision.

An examination of the original 2016 decision from the Gerede Chief Public Prosecutor's Office revealed that this phrase does not exist in the official document. The investigation into the original case involved a substance suspected of being bonzai, but expert reports from the Gendarmerie General Command determined the substance was actually ‘thymol’, a component found in thyme, which has no narcotic or stimulant effects.

Consequently, the prosecutor's office has initiated a judicial investigation against those spreading the false images and information under the charge of ‘publicly spreading misleading information’.