Turkish Teenager Appears in Court for Insulting President

A 16-year old Turkish high school student appeared in court on Friday in the central Anatolian city of Konya on charges of insulting President Tayyip Erdogan. Police arrested Mehmet Emin Altunses in December after he read out a statement slamming both the ruling AK Party government and Erdogan over corruption allegations during a ceremony to commemorate the killing of a Turkish soldier by Islamists in 1920s. His lawyer said the teenager will plead not guilty to charges at the next hearing in Septembe. Altunses told reporters outside the courthouse, "I should have been at school at this hour today but I am at the courthouse. I don't want to come to the court frequently. I want to be acquitted of all charges at the next hearing. I want to look to the future,"