A canteen keeper from the Turkish opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, is in custody, accused of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, after he allegedly said he would not serve tea for the president.
The canteen keeper, Şenol Buran, was remanded in custody by the İstanbul criminal court following his detention on December 24.
CHP İstanbul MP Barış Yarkadaş reacted the custody and said "since when have words like his become crime?"
The incident in question occurred when Buran was on his way to work to Cumhuriyet's offices in central İstanbul but found roads were closed as Erdoğan was due to give a speech in the area.
Buran is accused of angrily telling police officers: "I would not serve that man a cup of tea". The newspaper said he denies insulting the president, merely saying that he would not serve the tea.
The judge remanded Buran in custody.
Ten of the newspaper's writers and executives were arrested last month, due to claim that they sponsored Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) armed group and US-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen's cult.
