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World

Turkish teen jailed for insulting President Erdogan, released from custody

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    In this Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014 photo provided by the Presidential Press Service, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a meeting at his new palace in Ankara, Turkey. Turkish media reports say a teenager was taken away from his school and detained by police for allegedly insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hurriyet newspaper says the 16-year-old high-school student, identified only by his initials M.E.A., was arrested Wednesday in the central city of Konya for making a speech at a student protest a day earlier. The boy reportedly said Erdogan was regarded as the "thieving owner of the illegal palace" in reference to a government corruption scandal as well as a controversial 1,150-room new palace Erdogan inaugurated in October. (AP Photo/Turkish Presidential Press Service) (The Associated Press)

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    Image 2 of 3

    In this Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014 photo provided by the Presidential Press Service, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrives to address a meeting at his new palace in Ankara, Turkey. Turkish media reports say a teenager was taken away from his school and detained by police for allegedly insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hurriyet newspaper says the 16-year-old high-school student, identified only by his initials M.E.A., was arrested Wednesday in the central city of Konya for making a speech at a student protest a day earlier. The boy reportedly said Erdogan was regarded as the "thieving owner of the illegal palace" in reference to a government corruption scandal as well as a controversial 1,150-room new palace Erdogan inaugurated in October. (AP Photo/Turkish Presidential Press Service) (The Associated Press)

  • 3520889e-
    Image 3 of 3

    In this Thursday, Dec. 25, 2014 photo provided by the Presidential Press Service, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a meeting at his new palace in Ankara, Turkey. Turkish media reports say a teenager was taken away from his school and detained by police for allegedly insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hurriyet newspaper says the 16-year-old high-school student, identified only by his initials M.E.A., was arrested Wednesday in the central city of Konya for making a speech at a student protest a day earlier. The boy reportedly said Erdogan was regarded as the "thieving owner of the illegal palace" in reference to a government corruption scandal as well as a controversial 1,150-room new palace Erdogan inaugurated in October. (AP Photo/Turkish Presidential Press Service) (The Associated Press)

ANKARA, Turkey – A teenager has been released from custody after his arrest for allegedly insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan caused uproar in the country.

The 16-year old student, identified by his initials M.E.A, was taken away from his school on Wednesday and jailed for making a speech during a student protest in which he reportedly said Erdogan was regarded as the "thieving owner of the illegal palace." It was a reference to a government corruption scandal as well as a controversial 1,150-room palace Erdogan inaugurated in October.

A court in the central Turkish city of Konya agreed to free the boy from police custody on Friday, after dozens of lawyers petitioned for his release.

He still faces up to four years in prison if charged and convicted of insulting Erdogan.