11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Prosecution of writers and publishers ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 22893]

"The TPA reported that the banning and recall of books became very rare; however, writers, and publishers were still prosecuted on grounds of defamation, denigration, obscenity, separatism, subversion, fundamentalism, and blasphemy. Printing houses are required to submit books and periodicals to prosecutors at the time the materials are published. According to the TPA, prosecutors investigated and in several cases pressed charges against printing houses for late submission of materials deemed problematic. The TPA reported that publishers often avoided works with controversial content. According to the TPA, from June 2006 to June 2007, authorities opened court cases against 43 authors and 24 publishing houses for 43 books they had either written or published. These cases resulted in eight acquittals, 13 convictions, five dismissals, and 17 ongoing cases.

On May 22, a Fatih criminal court acquitted publisher Hamza Turkmen and sentenced author Mehmet Pamak to 15 months' imprisonment for his book Kemalism, Secularism and Martyrdom, for allegedly infringing penal code Article 216, which prohibits provoking the public to hatred, hostility, or denigration. The court postponed the execution of punishment.

On September 25, an Istanbul court acquitted publisher Fatih Tas and two translators in two cases for "insulting Turkishness" by publishing two books: a translation of the Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman book, Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of Mass Media; and a Turkish translation of the book, Spoils of War: The Human Cost of America's Arms Trade.

An Istanbul court acquitted Ragip Zarakolu, owner of Belge Publishing, in one of the two cases brought against him in 2005 for insulting the state by publishing translations of two books dealing with Turkish-Armenian relations. The court ruled that the translator, Atilla Tuygan, should be charged instead of Zarakolu. A case continued against Tuygan at year's end, in which Tuygan faces a six-year prison sentence. In the second case, Zarakolu faces seven and one-half years' imprisonment for publishing The Truth Will Set Us Free. On June 1, the book's author, George Jerjian, sent a letter to the court urging Zarakolu's acquittal. The case continued at year's end."

Document(s): Open document

29.11.2007 - Source: Guardian

Prosecutor may press charges against the publisher of The God Delusion for inciting religious hatred ("Dawkins book faces Turkish ban") [ID 21931]

Document(s): Open document

06.02.2007 - Source: BBC News

Senior Istanbul policeman suspended amid allegations police had advance warning of writer Hrant Dink's murder ("Officer suspended in Dink probe") [ID 19030]

Document(s): Open document

31.01.2007 - Source: Guardian

Nobel laureate Pamuk cancels publicity tour of Germany amid fears for safety following murder of Turkish-Armenian editor Hrant Dink ("Pamuk cancels Germany visit amid safety fears") [ID 19026]

Document(s): Open document

20.12.2006 - Source: BBC News

4 persons acquitted of "insulting Turkishness" in their translation of book by US writer Noam Chomsky ("Turks acquitted over translation") [ID 19675]

Document(s): Open document

19.12.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Writer Ipek Calislar acquitted of charges for insulting the country's founder Ataturk ("Turkish Writer Acquitted Of Insulting Country's Founder") [ID 19676]

Document(s): Open document

10.10.2006 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

Writer Elif Shafak faced trial but was acquitted of charges under article 301 of the penal code with “insulting Tukishness” ("A Minority Policy of Systematic Negation") [ID 18301]

"Elif Shafak, a best-selling author dividing her time between Istanbul and the United States, faced trial but was acquitted of charges of “insult” in the Beyoglu Court of First Instance in Istanbul, on 21 September 2006. She was charged under article 301 of the penal code with “insulting Turkishness” and was the third prominent novelist standing trial in Turkey in just over a year for such charges. The charges stemmed from a passage in her novel The Bastard of Istanbul in which one of the characters refers to the deaths of Armenians during the First World War as “genocide.”"

Document(s): Report
Press Release

10.10.2006 - Source: International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights

No further procedure against writer Orhan Pamuk who was charged with "insulting Turkishness"; 6-month suspended sentence against journalist Hrant Dink for articles entitled “The Armenian Identity” ("A Minority Policy of Systematic Negation") [ID 18303]

"In January, prosecutors announced they would not proceed with the case against Orhan Pamuk, a well-known writer charged with “insulting Turkishness” for stating in an interview in Germany that “thirty thousand Kurds and a million Armenians were killed in these lands and nobody but me dares to talk about it.” However, in a troubling development, the Turkish Court of Cassation in July 2006 upheld a guilty verdict and six-month suspended sentence against Hrant Dink, editor of the Armenian language newspaper Agos. Dink received the sentence in May 2006 for articles published in 2004 entitled “The Armenian Identity.”"

Document(s): Report
Press Release

22.09.2006 - Source: Guardian

Best-known woman novelist acquitted of "insulting Turkishness"; in one novel she refers to the controversial topic of mass murder of Armenians committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 ("Judge throws out charges against Turkish novelist") [ID 17733]

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2006 - Source: Armenialiberty

Court acquitted prize-winning author of charges of insulting the nation in book over massacres of Armenians during World War I due to lack of evidence ("Turkish Author Cleared In Controversial Book Trial") [ID 17734]

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Novelist Shafak acquitted by court after having been accused of insulting "Turkishness" for comments made by her fictional characters on the massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire ("Turkish Novelist Acquitted In Rights Trial") [ID 17735]

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2006 - Source: BBC News

Court in Istanbul acquits novelist Elif Safak accused of insulting "Turkishness"; Safak faced charges for comments on the mass killings of Armenians committed by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 ("Top novelist acquitted in Turkey") [ID 17736]

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2006 - Source: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Successful novelist on trial accused of belittling Turkishness in latest of string of cases highlighting country's stuttering reform process ("Novelist on trial for 'insulting Turkishness'") [ID 17737]

Document(s): Open document

21.09.2006 - Source: Reporters Sans Frontières

Prime Minister Erdogan comments on novelist Elif Shafak’s acquittal on charge of “insulting national identity” under article 301 of the criminal code, announcing to amend the article which allowed her to be prosecuted ("Prime Minister talks of amending “national identity”article used to prosecute writers and journalists") [ID 17738]

Document(s): Open document

19.09.2006 - Source: EurasiaNet

Prize-winning Turkish novelist scheduled to stand trial on charges of belittling Turkishness; case is latest in string of prosecutions of people who speak out critically about Turkish killing of Armenians ("Liberals and Nationalists in Turkey Face Off Again Over Freedom of Speech") [ID 17739]

Document(s): Open document

24.02.2006 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Conviction of journalist of Armenian descent on charges of insulting Turkish national identity overturned ("Turkish Court Overturns Journalist's Conviction") [#45071],  [ID 13921]

Document(s): Open document

21.12.2005 - Source: BBC News

Turkish editor of Literatur publishers faces several years in jail for publishing book that prosecutors say insults nation; novel in some passages describes city's Turkish quarters as dirty ("Turkey orders fresh insult trial") [#40836],  [ID 13963]

Document(s): Open document

20.12.2005 - Source: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung

Report on trial against writer Orhan Pamuk ("Politischer Bericht Türkei") [#41089],  [ID 13964]

Document(s): Open document

16.12.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Trial of author Orhan Pamuk for insulting Turkey's identity suspended over whether law was appropriately applied in the case ("Trial Of Turkish Writer Pamuk Suspended") [#40674],  [ID 13965]

Document(s): Open document

15.12.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Trial of author Orhan Pamuk for insulting Turkish identity for remarks about World War 1-era killings of Armenians to commence tommorow ("Turkey: Trial Of Novelist Orhan Pamuk Puts Focus On Freedom Of Speech") [#40572],  [ID 13966]

Document(s): Open document

08.12.2005 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Novelist to be tried on charge of "insulting Turkishness" for mentioning killing of Kurds and Armenians in Turkey in interview with Swiss magazine; numerous writers, politicians and human rights activists already tried on same charge ("Turkey: Pamuk Trial Tests Commitment to Free Speech") [#40388],  [ID 13967]

Document(s): Open document

18.11.2005 - Source: BBC News

Turkish publisher went on trial for insulting Turkish state and founder of Turkish republic after publishing translation of work by US academic that included passages highly critical of Turkish military during Kurdish insurgency ("Turkish publisher goes on trial") [#39401],  [ID 13968]

Document(s): Open document

17.10.2005 - Source: Guardian

Novelist faces trial for speaking out about 1915 mass killings of Armenians; if convicted he could face up to 3 years in prison ("Novelist denies 'genocide' claim") [#37724],  [ID 13969]

Document(s): Open document

13.09.2005 - Source: BBC News

Country's most internationally-acclaimed author charged with insulting country's national character following his comments about deaths of one million Armenians and 30,000 Kurds in Turkey ("EU blasts Turkish author's trial") [#36558],  [ID 13970]

Document(s): Open document

01.09.2005 - Source: BBC News

A novelists faces three years in jail for making controversial comments on his country's killing of Armenians and Kurds ("Turk 'genocide' author faces jail") [#36156],  [ID 13971]

Document(s): Open document

02.03.2005 - Source: Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Publisher charged for publishing a book about government policies on Kurdish; writer charged with insulting the military and security forces of the State, acquitted; there are concerns over legal grounds for their trials ("OSCE media freedom representative concerned over legal grounds for trials of publisher and writer in Turkey") [#29587],  [ID 13972]

Document(s): Open document