List of prosecuted Turkish writers
Encyclopedia
Several Turkish
writers (fiction writers, journalists, academics, etc.) have been prosecuted in Turkey.
stated that: "The frequency with which Article 301 is being used and the arbitrary nature of its application represent a real threat to freedom of speech in Turkey. Individuals are being harassed and threatened with imprisonment simply for speaking or writing about aspects of Turkish history or culture that do not conform to an imposed nationalist ideal."
The scale of these state-sponsored actions against dissenting opinions is also clear from the fact that in one case, in 1996, 184 of Turkey's leading writers, artists and publishers were indicted under the Anti-Terror Law for "advocacy of separatism" in a single trial at Istanbul State Security Court. The trial was halted in October 1997 by force of a new law passed by the Turkish parliament.
EU officials have complained about this with the Government of Turkey. As an example, the EU Enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn
, has demanded in 2006 that Turkey rewrite its laws which restrict free expression and refrain from all related denial of free opinion. Also human rights organizations complain about these repeated, politically motivated prosecutions. Human Rights Watch concludes: "Each of these individuals was charged for nothing more than the peaceful expression of his opinions."
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Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
writers (fiction writers, journalists, academics, etc.) have been prosecuted in Turkey.
Grounds for prosecution
Many are prosecuted for statements deemed unpatriotic by official institutions, or by Turkish nationalists. Several disputed laws are often used for this, among others Article 301. On the scale of those prosecutions, and especially the abuse of Article 301, Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
stated that: "The frequency with which Article 301 is being used and the arbitrary nature of its application represent a real threat to freedom of speech in Turkey. Individuals are being harassed and threatened with imprisonment simply for speaking or writing about aspects of Turkish history or culture that do not conform to an imposed nationalist ideal."
The scale of these state-sponsored actions against dissenting opinions is also clear from the fact that in one case, in 1996, 184 of Turkey's leading writers, artists and publishers were indicted under the Anti-Terror Law for "advocacy of separatism" in a single trial at Istanbul State Security Court. The trial was halted in October 1997 by force of a new law passed by the Turkish parliament.
EU officials have complained about this with the Government of Turkey. As an example, the EU Enlargement commissioner, Olli Rehn
Olli Rehn
Olli Ilmari Rehn is a Finnish politician, currently serving as European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs. He had previously served as Commissioner for Enlargement...
, has demanded in 2006 that Turkey rewrite its laws which restrict free expression and refrain from all related denial of free opinion. Also human rights organizations complain about these repeated, politically motivated prosecutions. Human Rights Watch concludes: "Each of these individuals was charged for nothing more than the peaceful expression of his opinions."
List of writers
The following is an incomplete list of these prosecuted Turkish writers (and other persons), excluding cases listed at Article 301Article 301 (Turkish penal code)
Article 301 is a controversial article of the Turkish Penal Code making it illegal to insult Turkey, the Turkish ethnicity, or Turkish government institutions...
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- Gökhan Gençay, writing for the BirGünBirGünBirGün is an Istanbul-based Turkish left-wing daily.The paper was founded in 2004 by a group of Turkish intellectuals. The most important point of the newspaper is that it doesn't have any owners....
newspaper, prosecuted for his reporting on conscientious objectors. - Baskin Oran, former member of the Human Rights Advisory Board (HRAB) for the Turkish Prime Minister’s office, charged in May 2006 with "public humiliation of the courts authority" and "dangerous incitement of public hatred and enmity". Oran stated: "My freedom of expression is being ambushed for strategic reasons." In November 2006 he was acquitted.
- Sehmus Ülek, vice-president of the human rights organization Mazlum-Der.
- Murat Yetkin, writer for the RadikalRadikalRadikal is a daily Turkish language newspaper, published in Istanbul. It has been published since 1997 by Aydın Doğan's Doğan Media Group ....
newspaper, charged in June 2006 with attempting to influence a fair trial for having criticised the prosecution of Orhan PamukOrhan PamukFerit Orhan Pamuk , generally known simply as Orhan Pamuk, is a Turkish novelist. He is also the Robert Yik-Fong Tam Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University, where he teaches comparative literature and writing....
. In November 2006 the charges were dropped. - İsmail BeşikçiIsmail Besikçiİsmail Beşikçi is a Turkish scholar. He is a PEN Honorary Member. He has served 17 years in prison on propaganda charges stemming from his writings about the Kurdish population in Turkey....
, scholar currently serving a 100-year jail sentence on propaganda charges for his writings on Turkish Kurds. - İpek Çalışlar, charged in August 2006 for insulting Atatürk. In December 2006 she was acquitted.
- Ömer AsanÖmer AsanÖmer Şükrü Asan , is a Turkish folklorist, photographer and writer.In 2002, he was charged with allegations that he violated Article 8 of Turkey's Anti-Terror Law by "propagandating separatism" for his book Pontos Kültürü...
, charged in 2002 with allegations of the breach of Article 8 of the Anti-Terror Law by "propagandating separatism" for his book Pontos KültürüPontos KültürüPontos Kültürü Pontos Culture is a 1996 book by Turkish author Ömer Asan about the Greek Muslims of Trabzon Province.Pontos Kültürü documents Asan's ethnographic fieldwork in his native village Çoruk in Of district...
. In 2003 Article 8 was abolished, and he was acquitted as a result. - Atilla YaylaAtilla YaylaAtilla Yayla is a Turkish political thinker and a proponent of liberal democracy. He is Professor of Politics, Political Economy and Political Philosophy at Gazi University in Turkey -Life and career:He was born in 1957 in Kaman, Kırşehir....
, a political theorist, was convicted in January 2008 and sentenced to a suspended 15-month jail sentence for insulting Atatürk by claiming in a 2006 speech that the early Turkish Republic was not entirely democratic and that the cult of personalityCult of personalityA cult of personality arises when an individual uses mass media, propaganda, or other methods, to create an idealized and heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are usually associated with dictatorships...
surrounding him was illogical. He is now living in self-imposed exile in England.
See also
- Article 301 (Turkish penal code)Article 301 (Turkish penal code)Article 301 is a controversial article of the Turkish Penal Code making it illegal to insult Turkey, the Turkish ethnicity, or Turkish government institutions...
- Censorship in TurkeyCensorship in TurkeyCensorship in Turkey is largely focused on "insults to Turkishness" and expressions of political extremism. Censorship in Turkey is regulated by domestic and international legislation, which takes precedence over domestic law according to Article 90 of the Constitution following its amendment in...
- Human rights in TurkeyHuman rights in TurkeyHuman rights in Turkey are theoretically protected by a variety of international law treaties, which take precedence over domestic legislation, according to Article 90 of the 1982 Constitution....
- Human rights in EuropeHuman rights in EuropeThe current human rights situation in Europe on the whole is believed by many to be good. However, there are several human rights alleged problems ranging from the treatment of asylum seekers through police brutality to various infringements of the judicial rights and freedoms of businesspersons...
- International Freedom of Expression ExchangeInternational Freedom of Expression ExchangeThe International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....