The Istanbul 9th Heavy Penal Court has decreed that the weekly Atılım newspaper will not be allowed to publish for a month, saying that the newspaper’s coverage of statements by the Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) in its last issue amounted to propaganda for the organisation.

On 4 April, the court also decided to block access to the newspaper’s website, www.atilim.org.

The court said that the newspaper had “clearly committed” the crimes outlined in Articles 6/2 and 7/2 of the Anti-Terrorism Law, and cited Article 25/2 of the Press Law in its justification for forbidding publication, distribution and sales of any edition of the newspaper for a month. Article 6/end, dealing with the intention and seriousness of a crime, was cited in the justification for blocking access to the website.

The front page headline of the last issue had referred to the local elections on Sunday, 29 March, saying, “The poll boxes have collided, now it’s time for the streets.” In addition, Ender Bulhaz Aktürk, an alleged MLKP member who has been accused of killing a police officer in Bursa, western Turkey, was described as a “communist fighter” in a news item reporting claims that he had bee tortured in detention. There were also statements concerning the upcoming 1 May and evaluations of the election results in the last issue.

Press statement condemning closure

Atılım employers made a statement in front of the press at the Istanbul branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), saying that the dissident media was being put under pressure and that their newspaper had been closed unlawfully.

One employer, Kadir Aktaş, said, “We will continue to hunt for the truth. This event is proof that there is zero tolerance not towards torturers but towards those who report torture.”

He further called on all media organs to follow the news on the “crime against humanity” carried out in Bursa.

The press statement was supported by Özgür Radio, the Nazim Hikmet Marxist Sciences Academy, the Socialist Platform for the Oppressed (ESP), the Tekstil-Sen trade union, the Human Rights Association (IHD), the Kartal branch of the Pir Sultan Abdal Culture Association (PSAKD) and the Struggle Union.

Criticism of censorship

Songül Akbay, manager of Varyos Publications, pointed out that press censorship, confiscation decisions and publication bans were continuing. She argued that the socialist line of the Atılım newspaper was being obstructed and that the people’s right to being informed was being taken from them.

Necati Abay, spokesperson for the Solidarity Platform for Arrested Journalists said, “We are face to face with typical cheap attacks. They say they have abolished censorship, but the 100-year tradition of censorship is continuing as a state policy.”

Gülseren Yoleri, branch president of the IHD, said, “We need dissident media organs like we need water and bread in order to be informed.” She said they would monitor the censorship and oppression that Atılım was facing. (EÖ/AG)