A reception held at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace on Monday night hosted the Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC) annual Press Freedoms Award ceremony where a cartoonist prosecuted for depicting Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an entangled cat and the judge who acquitted him of the charges shared the 2006 award.

Cartoonist Musa Kart thanked the Turkish PM "for being the cause of my receiving of this award" while Eskisehir 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance judge Mithat Ali Kabaali said he had only done his duty adding, "I did whatever was required for the supremacy of justice".

Erinc: We are against the Anti-Terror Law

Making the opening speech for the TGC event, the Association's chairman Orhan Erinc. voiced concerns over Turkey's newly amended Anti-Terror Law (TMY) and said it consisted of definitions of offences that would lead to the imprisonment of journalists.

"This year's 24 July is the 98th anniversary of journalists standing up against the practice of censorship and rejecting to send their newspapers to be examined before print" Erinc said, referring to the change in printing ethics in 1908. He said that although such censorship no longer existed, censorship itself continued in a different form and added that auto-censorship was an even more dangerous kind of this practice.

Erinc said some of the articles of the TMY contained definitions of offences that would allow for journalists working under the scope of the people's right to receive news and be informed of realities to be imprisoned for criticism of practices as if they themselves were terrorists. He said this would allow them to be imprisoned and because of this, they objected to the law.

Kart: Cat case was against press freedom

Noting the that TGC Press Freedom Award was granted to all cartoonists in th country through him, Kart said the suit filed against him on grounds of insulting the Prime Minister for depicting Erdogan as a cat entangled in wool "was not only a case opened against me, but a case opening the way to bringing restrictions to press freedoms".

Kart stressed that this was the first time the award was given to a cartoonist and thanked Erdogan for creating the opportunity for this. He said the history of cartoons showed a progressiveness and that not even political administrations opposed to progress could prevent it.

Kabaali: I was never partial

Judge Kabaali who read a sentence out of his written verdict on the case underlined the importance of the media's role in enlightening public opinion.

"My colleagues criticized me for accepting the award saying it was unethical" the judge explained,. "But as a member of the judiciary in this country that has come under attack, and as a citizen who demands the right of free and impartial news, I decided to accept this award".

Kabaali explained that he had grown up in a village in the Southeast province of Hatay where there were no roads or electricity and added, "It is an honor tonight appear in front of such a select group of people. This award is very meaningful for me due to my belief in justice and freedom".

Meeting later with Kart, Kabaali thanked the cartoonist for being the cause of the award he received and said "I did everything for the supremacy of justice. I have never been partial".

Institution Award Recognizes Freedoms Work

The TGC 2006 institution award was granted to the Turkish Penal Law Association in the same ceremony for the group's outstanding activities on legal issues related to press freedoms.

It was in recognition of the Association's scientific approach to limitations and restrictions imposed by the Turkish Penal Code, the Press and Anti-Terror Laws at all levels from draft to debate and approval as well as its activities including discussion panels and forums, issuing publications and working together with bar associations and journalists in this field to attract attention to the public's right to information and media freedom. (EZO/KO/IIYE)