Publishers anxious of restrictions on the freedom of expression in Turkey

The "Freedom of Thought and Expression" awards were distributed, on July 4, 2005, by Turkish Publishers Association at a ceremony. Following the ceremony, the Turkish Publishers’ Association made its alarming report on the situation of the freedom of expression and thought.

The daily Zaman’s Herkul Millas received the "writers under trial" award. The "all publishers under trial" award was granted to Levent Erseven founder and editor of the publishing house Studyo Imge. Ismail Donmez, a bookseller for 23 years was presented with the award for "all the booksellers of Thrace and Anatolia".

Ragip Zarakolu who represented Turkish Publishers’ Association in the Commission on Freedom of Thought and Expression of International Publishers Association received an honorary award.

The "Prize of Freedom of Thought and Expression" has been granted previously to such stalwarts as Yasar Kemal, Erdal Oz, Muzaffer Ilhan Erdost, Enis Batur, and Ragip Duran.

The "Freedom of Publishing Report-2005", presented at the end of the ceremony, draws attention to the fact that the prohibitionnist tendencies are getting forced and the freedom of expression and thought threatened.

Evaluating the last 12 months, the report points out to the following facts:

In 2004-05, 37 writers and 43 books of 25 publishing houses have been the object of legal proceedings.

The new Turkish Penal Code has articles restricting the freedom of expression. The freedoms recognized earlier by the new Press Code to writers are now suppressed by the new Turkish Penal Code that imposes prison terms instead of fines.

The new Law on Works of Thought and Art adopted with the aim of protecting the authors of such works brings negative effects preventing publishers from publishing new works.

A series of proceedings of indemnity started by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan against cartoonists or writers constitutes a menace on the freedom of criticism.

The report mentions as alarming signs the campaign against novelist Orhan Pamuk, the investigation in Switzerland against Yusuf Halacoglu, President of the Turkish History Institute (TTK), the annulation of a conference on the Genocide of Armenians in Istanbul, two legal proceedings against Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and the detention of a high school student for having read a poem of Nazim Hikmet in Milas.

(Radikal-Zaman, July 5-6, 2005)