Ex-striker Hakan Sukur faces ijail term for criticizing Erdoğan
Retired Turkish footballer Hakan Şükür faces the prospect of spending up to four years in jail after being charged with insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Twitter The former Inter and Galatasaray striker has ventured into politics since retiring in 2008, but prosecutors have charged him with publishing derogatory content against the country’s leader and his son. Hakan, 44, was formerly one of the deputies of the ruling AKP party, but previously became critical of their policies and Erdogan, who became hostile to one of the nation’s biggest religion factions, the Islamic Gulen movement. Due to the former player’s beliefs, he was forced to quit the party during December 2013. After leaving the AKP, he continued to work in parliament under the banner of an independent MP, though tensions remain high between the two sides. Hakan Şükür is living in the US now.
