PRESS FREEDOM

Publisher Ragıp Zarakolu stated in yesterday's (19 November) hearing, "As the chairman of the of the Committee of Freedom of Expression and Publishing and as a publisher I cannot do censorship". Zarakolu is tried under charges of "spreading propaganda for the PKK organization" because of the book "More difficult decisions than death" ('Ölümden Zor Kararlar') published by Belge Publishing in March this year.

In yesterday's 2^nd hearing of the trial before the Istanbul 10^th High Criminal Court publisher Zarkolu and writer N. Mehmet Güler presented their defence. Their lawyer Özcan Kılıç also attended the session.

Zarakolu: I'd like to believe that I will be acquitted

Both un-detained defendants are facing prison sentences based on article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMY) because characters of the book are called "Sıti", "Sabri" and "Şiyar".

Zarakolu has been chairman of the Turkey Publishers Association (TYB) Committee for Freedom of Publishing for 15 years. He stated, "The novel plays in historical period Turkey lived through. There are similar examples in world literature. Ernest Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" for instance deals with the Spanish civil war. We published the story of a literal character. I want to believe that this trial will result in our acquittal just as other trials about similar books in the past have done. The Anti-Terror Law should be amended to lift the publisher's responsibility", Zarakolu claimed.

Prosecutor Çavuşoğlu pleaded for acquittal

In the prosecution's final speech prosecutor Mustafa Çavuşoğlu advanced the view that "no legal elements of crime occurred". He demanded the acquittal of Zarakolu and Güler.

President Judge Zafer Başkurt reviewed the file and decided to postpone the case till 25 March 2010.

Zarakolu: This trial is the present for my 40th year in journalism!

Zarakolu stated that the pressure "has come as far as prosecuting the heroes of a novel". The publisher said to bianet, "This trial is like a present for my 40^th year in journalism".

Güler emphasized that even though there are lots of troubles in Turkey, one has to confront reality. "I decided to deal with the problems in literature because I think this is the best way to fix the social trauma", Güler indicated.

Reason for the prosecution: prosecution in the novel!

Istanbul Public Prosecutor Hikmet Usta based his indictment of 22 May on dialogues in the novel such as on page 39 in the context of a trial against a PKK member, quoted as follows: "This court delegation has no right to judge me. I fight for freedom. I do not recognize this court". The court president's warning "Do not disrespect the court delegation!" and similar passages of the novel are further subject to the indictment.

The prosecutor refers to 10 pages of the novel, claiming that the life stories of the PKK members evoke sympathy for the organization and that propaganda is spread that way. (EÖ/VK)