Former Miss Turkey convicted of insulting president via social media

A former Miss Turkey was convicted yesterday of insulting president Recep Tayyip Erdogan via social media and given a 14-month suspended sentence amid deepening concerns that the country is swaying toward an increasingly authoritarian form of rule.

The court in Istanbul found 27-year-old model Merve Buyuksarac guilty of insulting a public official but immediately suspended the sentence on condition that she does not reoffend within the next five years.

Ms Buyuksarac, who was crowned Miss Turkey in 2006, was briefly detained last year for sharing a satirical poem on her Instagram account in 2014.