Court Seizes Gay Cultural Magazine

The Ankara 12th Criminal Court of Peace has ordered for the confiscation of all copies of the latest edition of a magazine published by Turkey's Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Researches and Solidarity Association (Kaos GL) citing as reason that it was deemed "immoral".

According to information from Kaos GL, the latest edition of the magazine was seized and confiscated at the printing house even before it went into distribution.

Attorney Oya Aydin, interviewed by bianet on the issue, said, the recent and confiscated edition of the magazine questioned pornography and that the content was in the scope of freedom of expression.

"This decision," she said, "is an intervention into freedom of expression. We are now appealing against the decision at the Criminal Court of First Instance.

Unjustified anti-morality

In his decision, judge Tekman Savas Nemli said some of the content and photographs contained in the magazine's cover story on "pornography" were deemed to be in contrast with "protecting general morality".

Attorney Aydin says the decision cites no exact reason for the confiscation nor explains which part of the content or images were deemed immoral.

"There is no case law related to being against general morality in Turkey. The ban is largely political in nature. In Turkey, pornography and sexuality continues on the [image of] women and does not attract reaction" she explained.

Writers Ahmet Tulgar, Fatih Ozguven, Guner Kuban, Hasan Bulent Kahraman, Mehmet Bilal Dede, Meltem Arikan, painter Taner Ceylan and artistic photographer Bikem Ekberzade had contributed to the latest seized edition of KAOS GL where the relationship between pornography and homosexuality was being analyzed.

In a statement on the court order, Kaos GL magazine dubbed the verdict as being "sexist and homophobic" charging that the intention was to restrict the freedom of expression for Turkey's gay and lesbian citizens. "From the very beginning," said the statement, "we have been writing and struggling against homosexuality being seen only as sexuality and sexuality being seen analogous with pornography. It is evident that not homosexuals, but general morality will change."

Noting that pornography and sexuality based on images of women in the daily press constituted no problem, the association concluded "not pornography itself but to criticize and question pornography is banned." (TK/KO/II/YE)