ISTANBUL, June 17 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish court in Istanbul on Tuesday ordered the release of Umit Ozdag, leader of the nationalist Victory Party, five months after he was jailed on charges of inciting public hatred.
Ozdag was arrested in January, accused of using social media to stir anti-refugee unrest in the central province of Kayseri last year.
In its ruling on Tuesday, the court sentenced him to two years, four months and three days in prison for "inciting hatred and hostility or degrading the public," but ordered his release, crediting the 148 days he had already served in pre-trial detention.
Speaking outside Marmara Prison in Istanbul following his release, Ozdag denied the charges. His case has drawn significant public attention.
The unrest in Kayseri erupted on June 30, 2024, after reports that a Syrian man had sexually abused a young girl. Crowds attacked homes, shops and vehicles belonging to Syrians. The violence spread to other cities, with more than 1,000 people arrested nationwide, according to officials.
Ozdag's Victory Party, founded in 2021, campaigns against illegal migration and advocates for the return of migrants to their home countries. Türkiye currently hosts more than 4 million registered migrants, most of them Syrians, according to government data. ■
