Erdoğan withdraws complaint against insult, students apologize

The complaint filed against four graduates from the prestigious Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) in Ankara by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for carrying a poster depicting the president as various animals was withdrawn yesterday.

The letter submitted by the president's lawyer said that the suspects' statements reflecting their regret, coupled with their young ages, had resulted in the president withdrawing his complaint.

Four students who were attending a graduation ceremony in ODTÜ's campus in Ankara in July were caught on video carrying the insulting placard. All four were detained and arrested before being released.

Erdoğan later extended an invitation to the four students for a meeting, which took place late Tuesday at the presidential complex. In the statement, Erdoğan praised the students for their interest in the country's future and politics in general, adding that the president had been one of the key proponents of the decision to reduce the voting age to 18. However, he warned, the students should beware of becoming tools of certain extremist groups and refrain from using slurs and insults while conveying their message.