FONDATION INFO-TURK
53, rue de Pavie
1000 BRUXELLES

Tel: (32-2) 215 35 76
Fax: (32-2) 215 58 60

E-mail:
Fondation@info-turk.be

The arrest warrant against Dogan Ozgüden remains in force

Journalist Emin Karaca condemned
for insult to the Army chiefs

Journalist and writer Emin Karaca was condemned on September 13, 2005
by the penal court of first instance N°2 of Istanbul to a 5-month
imprisonment old according to Article 301/2 of the new Turkish Penal
Code (replacing Article 159/1 of the old Turkish Penal Code) because
of his criticisms as regards the putschist generals of March 12,
1971. The prison sentence was later commuted to a suspended fine of
900 YTL (New Turkish Liras).

The court also decided to acquit the responsible editor for the
Türkiye’ review of ve Avrupa’ da Yazin (Literature in Turkey and
Europe), Mehmet Emin Sert, who had published Karaca’s article on the
occasion of the 30th anniversary of the execution of three leaders of
progressive youth.

In the same case started in 2002, Dogan Özgüden, chief editor of
Info-Türk, had been indicted for his article entitled “After 30
years”, appeared in the same review, and accused of having insulted
the Army chiefs. On September 27, 2002, the court sent to all border
check points an arrest warrant ordering that Özgüden, exiled in
Belgium, be immediately arrested and submitted to the justice as soon
as he enters to Turkey. Up to now, this arrest warrant has been
renewed five times by the same court, but Özgüden refused to surrender
to Turkish justice.

At the audience of June 22, 2005, the public prosecutor asked that the
lawsuit file against Dogan Özgüden be separate until its arrest in the
event of its return to the country so that the lawsuit against Karaca
can continue separately. The court thus decided to separate Özgüden’s
file and to suspend his trial until his arrest in the event of his
return to Turkey. (For more information on the case:
)

The condemnation of Karaca shows that, in spite of the modification of
the Turkish Penal Code, so appreciated by the European Union, the
indictment and condemnation of writers and journalists for “opinion
crimes” continue as before.

The independent communications network (BIA) announced on September 13
2005, that under the Article 301 (old article 159) of the TPC a number
of journalists are always tried for insult against the Turkish nation,
the Army, the government or the forces of security simply because of
their criticisms. It gives like examples the following recent cases:

Novelist Orhan Pamuk, for insult to the Turkish nation

Journalist Ragip Zarakolu, publisher of Belge Yayinlari, for insult to
the State, the Republic and Atatürk Journalist Hrant Dink, editor of
the Armenian newspaper Agos, for insult to the Turkish nation

Journalist Dogan Özgüden, for insult to the Army
Journalist Emin Karaca,, for insult to the Army

Lawyer Sehmus Ulek, vice-president of the Association for the defense
of the oppressed (Mazlum-DER), for insult to the Turkish nation
Journalist Rahmi Yildirim, for insult to the Army Journalist Ersen
Korkmaz, editor of Demokrat Iskenderun, for insult to the government.

***************************************

Latest news on the situation of human rights in Turkey:

Le 25e anniversaire du coup d’état du 12 septembre 1980 Les héritages
honteux de la dictature militaire persistent au seuil de l’UE 50
protesters of September 12 were attacked and detained by police La
Turquie condamnée à Strasbourg pour opération de police meurtrière Les
tentatives de lynchage s’intensifient depuis cinq mois Le Conseil de
sécurité insiste sur la poursuite de la répression

La Turquie condamnée à Strasbourg pour violation de la liberté
d’expression Poursuites contre Orhan Pamuk – L’UE s’en prend à la
Turquie International PEN ‘s reaction against Orhan Pamuk’s indictment
L’écrivain Orhan Pamuk inculpé pour “insulte” aux Turcs RSF: Un
journaliste d’origine kurde incarcéré en Turquie Heavy fines to Turkey
for violating freedom of expression RSF scandalisée par la garde à vue
arbitraire de quatre journalistes

Appel de solidarité pour la paix et le dialogue en Turquie Second
International Conference on EU, Turkey and the Kurds La police
allemande attaque les médias kurdes Manifestants kurdes attaqués par
des nationalistes turcs: 200 blessés A Kurdish Demonstrator Killed by
security forces in Batman

Une conférence majeure sur la Turquie au Parlement européen Belgique:
Matinée d’étude sur le combat contre le négationnisme Négationnisme:
Le procureur juge Emir Kir “ambigu” Anniversaire d’incidents
anti-grecs: une exposition saccagée à Istanbul