U. ARIZONA PROFESSOR ACQUITTED OF CHARGES IN TURKEY
By Natasha Bhuyan, Arizona Daily Wildcat; SOURCE: U. Arizona
Arizona Daily Wildcat, Univ. of Arizona
September 22, 2006 Friday
In a move hailed as a victory for freedom of speech, a Turkish court
acquitted Elif Shafak, a University of Arizona assistant professor in
Near Eastern Studies, saying there was no evidence that she "insulted
Turkishness" in one of her novels, according to the Associated Press.
UA Provost George Davis said he felt tremendous relief about the
decision.
"It’s joyful that this is happening," Davis said. "I wrote letters
(to the Turkish government) to underscore the importance of extending
to her the kind of freedom of expression and living that we want
everyone to possess."
The trial ended 1 1/2 hours after it began, with Judge Irfan Adil
ruling that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that Shafak
committed a crime.
Shafak, 35, gave birth to a girl, Sehrazat Zelda, on Saturday and did
not attend the trial as she was still in a hospital in Istanbul. If
convicted, Shafak could have faced three years in prison.
Armenian characters in Shafak’s novel, "The Bastard of Istanbul,"
refer to Turkish butchers who were part of the Armenian genocide in
1915. The massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during World
War I is a taboo topic in Turkey.
Shafak was charged under Article 301, which makes public denigration
of Turkishness, the Turkish Republic, the Grand National Assembly,
the government, judiciary, military and security services a crime,
according to the Associated Press.
Shafak’s trial gained international attention, with more than 300
riot police surrounding yesterday’s hearing. The trial came at an
important time for the country, which is under evaluation to join
the European Union.
The EU has warned Turkey that putting writers and journalists on
trial for their speech could hamper its efforts to join the bloc,
according to the Associated Press.
Although Turkey is already a democracy, it’s a country in the process
of developing increased citizen-participation in the government,
said Amy Newhall, director of the Middle East Studies Association
and senior lecturer in Near Eastern Studies.
Whether or not the "insulting Turkishness" law will be changed is up
to the Turkish people, Newhall said.
"Like this country, Turkey has a wide range of opinions, including
extreme conservative," Newhall said. "Some people see danger in
creative expression."
Anne Betteridge, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies,
said the trial had a "wonderful outcome" due in part to support from
the community.
Leaders from UA departments wrote several letters in support of
Shafak. The departments included English, Journalism, Middle Eastern
Studies, and even a letter from provost Davis on behalf of the entire
university.
Shafak believed the letters would make an enormous difference,
Betteridge said.
Fenton Johnson, an associate professor of English who led a
letter-writing campaign, said this is evidence that the community
can influence international situations and encourage more people to
become involved.
"At a time when there’s a lot of apathy about such things, this shows
such campaigns do have an impact," Johnson said.
Davis, who has traveled to Turkey, said although people criticize
aspects of higher education in America such as faculty tenure, it is
important to have academic freedom.
"Faculty can not be reckless, but they need to explore topics that
are sensitive politically, culturally," Davis said. "They are an
appropriate part of discourse."
Betteridge said Shafak will return to the UA in fall 2007.
Newhall, who was part of the hiring committee that selected Shafak,
said although Shafak views Turkish history in a realistic way, she
cares deeply about her country.
"Her activism is bound up in her love of her country," Newhall said.
"She is critical of her country, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t
love it."