Anti-Erdogan student protesters face possible jail term

An Ankara prosecutor has demanded six years in prison for 45 university students who held a protest against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the launch ceremony of a Turkish satellite in December 2012, reports Hürriyet Daily News.

Ankara’s 14th Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment on 16 September, where prosecutors sought six years behind bars for the 45 Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) students. The students are alleged to have violated the Meetings and Demonstrations Law and to have resisted the police and prevented them from performing their duty.

Protests were sparked when Erdogan visited the ODTÜ campus for the launching ceremony of the Turkish satellite named Göktürk-2 on 18 December 2012. There were clashes between students and police, in which police used tear gas and water to stop students marching to the area where the ceremony was taking place.
Full report on the Hürriyet Daily News site