APOLOGIZING TO ARMENIANS UNDER PROSECUTION

BIA
Jan 12 2009
Turkey

Following the filing of six complaints against the campaign
apologising for the "Great Catastrophe" of 1915, the Ankara Chief
Public Prosecutor’s Office has started an investigation against the
signatories, for violating Article 301.

Six people, Hasan Huseyin Satır, Sabahat Ozgur, Mehmet İnal Kolburan,
Huseyin Erdggan, Serdar Orhaner and KurÅ~_at Karacabey, have filed
a complaint against the organisors and signatories of the Internet
signature campaign to apologise to their "Armenian brothers and
sisters" for the events of 1915.

"Great Catastrophe" of 1915

The campaign can be found at www.ozurdiliyoruz, and a brief text is
presented in Turkish and other languages. The English text reads:

"My conscience does not accept the insensitivity showed to and the
denial of the Great Catastrophe that the Ottoman Armenians were
subjected to in 1915. I reject this injustice and for my share,
I empathize with the feelings and pain of my Armenian brothers and
sisters. I apologize to them."

The six people filed complaints claiming that this campaign denigrated
the Turkish nation because it accused the nation of committing a
genocide. This means that the prosecution will investigate under the
controversial Article 301.

At the time of writing, the campaign has been signed by over 27,000
people.

Previous complaint Last month judge Hakkı Yalcınkaya of the Å~^iÅ~_li
2nd Penal Court had also filed a complaint against the campaign,
demanding its trial under Article 301 and the closure of the website.

Yalcınkaya is known for his intimate relationship with nationalist
lawyer Kemal Kerincsiz, himself a suspect in the Ergenekon
trial. Yalcınkaya, too, has been investigated by the Ministry of
Justice for asking Kerincsiz on the phone if there was "anything he
could do".

Yalcınkaya was involved in the court case against the Armenian
newspaper Agos’ licence holder Serkis Seropyan and editor Aris
Nalcı when they stood accused of influencing the judiciary. He
acquitted them.

In a previous case, he was part of the group of judges who sentenced
former Agos editor Arat Dink and Seropyan under Article 301 with a
suspended sentence.

–Boundary_(ID_HlE1rLSzXKc4qXnSpWeUyg)- –
From: Baghdasarian