Turkish director arrested after calling for ‘Order 66’ against Erdogan supporters

Ilker Canikligil, a Turkish director and founder of the YouTube channel Flu TV, was arrested on Wednesday as part of an investigation into alleged “incitement to commit a crime” and “inciting the public into hatred and enmity” over remarks made during an online broadcast mentioning “Order 66.”

Canikligil was detained on the night of March 25. After police procedures, he was taken to Istanbul’s Caglayan Courthouse the following day and formally arrested after appearing before a judge.

‘Execute Order 66’

During the broadcast on his YouTube channel, Canikligil made controversial statements regarding individuals who support President Erdogan, using language that sparked debate.

He also referenced the phrase “Execute Order 66,” a term from the Star Wars series associated with mass extermination.

Although Canikligil did not explicitly link his remarks to the recent protests following the arrest of former Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the comments were interpreted by some as being connected to ongoing political tensions.

In a follow-up post on X, Canikligil wrote: “My friends, don’t waste your time trying to explain things to these people. Political Islam must be ignored and gradually eliminated. There’s nothing about it to be taken seriously. That’s all.”