Case Against Islamist Daily Vakit Begins

The trial of pro-Islamic "Anadolu'da Vakit" newspaper executives started on Tuesday based on an indictment charging the publication of "showing as targets" members of Turkey's supreme Council of State in a news report prior to a May 17, 2006 armed attack on them, in which one judge was killed and four others were wounded.

Subject to trial is Vakit's February 13 front page banner report titled "Here are those members" accompanied by photographs and identities of the chief judge and 3 members of the 2nd Chamber of the State Council who had voted to block the appointment of a teacher wearing a headscarf as principal of a nursery school.

When the newspaper's owner Nuri Aykon and its editor-in-chief Harun Aksoy failed to turn up for the first hearing of the case at the Istanbul Bagcilar 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, a decision was taken by court to bring them to the next hearing under police force.

The court also accepted State Council President Sumru Cortoglu, the Council' Secretary General Suna Turkoglu, 2nd Chamber member Nevin Gonenc, 4th Chamber President Engin Kumrulu and relatives and inheritors of 2nd Chamber member judge Mustafa Yucel Ozbilgin who was killed in the May 17 armed attack, as intervening party to the case.

The newspaper's lawyer Ali Pacci objected to the State Council President and Secretary General accepted as intervening party on grounds that they were not directly harmed by the offence and argued that the indictment should be rejected.

While rejecting Pacci's objection to the intervening party, the court decided for the file to be examined by the Bakirkoy High Criminal Court in view of attorney objections and for the hearing to be adjourned to September 28, 2006.

Aykon and Aksoy are charged with "showing members of the judiciary as targets for terror organisations", "insulting judges and prosecutors" and "insulting and rediculing the moral status of justice" and face a toal of 34.5 years maximum prison term each.

The newspaper, known by its short name Vakit, accused journalists covering and commenting on the case of "closely monitoring the trial in order to publish news against their own colleagues". (EO/KO/II/YE)