Former Miss Turkey in Hot Water over Instagram Post
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S. Alemdar/Getty Images for Maybelline(ISTANBUL) — A Turkish beauty queen could face time behind bars for allegedly insulting the president on social media.
The lawyer for the former Miss Turkey says a prosecutor wants her brought up on charges of insulting a public official. If convicted, Merve Buyuksarac could serve up to two years in prison.
Buyuksarac was detained last month for posting a poem on Instagram that the government deemed insulting to President Recep Tayipp Erdogan.
In recent years, Turkish authorities have cracked down on those who use social media to criticize the government. The government briefly restricted access to Twitter and YouTube in 2013 amid a corruption scandal.
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