ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish court has acquitted a former beauty queen of charges of “insulting” the victims of the country’s failed 2016 coup in a Twitter post.
Itir Esen was stripped of her Miss Turkey 2017 title and charged with insulting a section of the public for the tweet she posted as the country held memorials marking the failed coup.
The tweet, which was later erased, read: “I got my period on the morning of the July 15 martyrs’ day. I’m marking the day by bleeding as a representation of the martyrs’ blood.”
Esen had denied intention to insult the victims.
The court acquitted her on Thursday citing “insufficient elements” for a crime.
Her title was given to the runner-up who went on to represent Turkey in China.