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Oct. 4, 2013 / 4:07 PM

Writer faces charges for making pun about Turkish PM's middle name

ISTANBUL, Turkey, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- A Turkish writer has been charged with insulting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan by making a pun about his middle name, officials say.

Emrah Serbes made the pun in a television show, changing the prime minister's middle name to "Tazyik," Hurriyet Daily News and Milliyet reported Friday.

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"Tazyik" means "pressurized water," an allusion to the 14 tons of water mixed with tear gas used by police to quell peaceful demonstrations in May.

If convicted, Serbes faces a jail term of 10 months to 12 years.

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Recep Tayyip Erdogan

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