Gum shame

A local leader of Turkey's ruling party was charged with insulting the country's founding leader for chewing gum during a wreath laying ceremony, the official news agency said.

Veysel Dalci, the head of the Justice and Development Party in the Black Sea coastal town of Fatsa, chewed gum Sunday as he walked toward a statue of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern, secular Turkey. He was laying a wreath to commemorate the 86th anniversary of the founding of the republic's parliament.

A military official accused Dalci of insulting Ataturk, the Anatolia news agency said. Dalci was charged and summoned to appear in court.

Dalci said he had no intention of insulting Ataturk, but was chewing gum to freshen his breath after eating garlic, CNN-Turk television reported.