Turkey has requested Germany to prosecute a popular comedian for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan through a poem that accused him of being abusive to minorities, among other things.
Turkey's ambassador to Berlin sent a diplomatic note to the German foreign ministry on Sunday asking authorities to launch a criminal prosecution against Jan Böhmermann, an award-winning comedian and host of German late night show "Neo Magazin Royale."
According to Financial Times, Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said that the government is currently examining the content of the note before they take the necessary steps.
Merkel reportedly slammed the poem for being "deliberately insulting" in a phone conversation with Turkish Prime-Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, RT reported.
Seibert, however, expressed that Chancellor Merkel leans towards freedom of speech as a "supreme good" that is protected by Germany's constitution.
German prosecutors had initiated preliminary proceedings against Böhmermann for violation of paragraph 103 of the Germany's criminal code that prohibits insulting foreign heads of state. However, the law provides that proceedings will push forward only if the Tukish government would formally request Germany to have the allegations investigated. Turkey sent the letter in compliance with the law.
If found guilty, Böhmermann will suffer up to three years in prison.
The poem in question was made public through a short clip aired on German state broadcast network ZDF. As per The Guardian, Jan Böhmermann is seen sitting in front of a Turkish flag placed beneath a framed portrait of President Erdogan. Böhmermann then delivers a poem in which he accuses Erdogan of "repressing minorities, kicking Kurds and slapping Christians while watching child porn."
Senior members in Merkel's party are of the opinion that Böhmermann should be punished.
"In a constitutional democracy we all have to stick to the rules, and one of these rules is that offending foreign heads of state is punishable by law," CDU general secretary Peter Tauber said.
The controversy comes at a crucial time after the European Union has entered a "refugee swap" deal with Turkey. Merkel is in a critical position, as she needs Erdogan's help to enforce the EU-Turkey deal while at the same time maintaining Germany's commitment to freedom of speech.
