Ersan Diamond apologizes after ministry complaint over sock donation post

A pair of socks, a government ministry, a criminal complaint and, finally, an apology. Turkish social media star Ersan Diamond's post has travelled a long way.

What happened?

Diamond announced he would sell the socks he wore at the Fenerbahçe-Liverpool match for a high price. He said the money would go to children under state protection. He also tagged the official accounts of the Ministry of Family and Social Services.

The ministry answered with a written statement. It said linking children in state care to a donation campaign like this was unacceptable. It then filed a criminal complaint.

What is the complaint based on?

The ministry asked for the post to be assessed under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). That covers publicly denigrating the Turkish state.

No further steps have been reported.

What does Diamond say?

Diamond broke his silence with a statement. He said the post was meant humorously and ironically, to encourage donations and raise awareness about helping children. Earlier posts using his shoes got a lot of attention, he said, so he tried the same approach again.

He explained that he tagged the ministry to remind people that you can also donate for children through public institutions. He stressed he never meant to suggest children under state protection were directly tied to his donation.

He said he was sorry to see the post misunderstood and sincerely apologized. He added that he had no intention of belittling the state, its institutions or the children in its care.

What's next?

It is not yet clear what will happen with the complaint. There has been no official word on whether the apology will play any role.