The Istanbul 12th Heavy Penal Court has decreed that the "Gündem" newspaper will be closed for 30 days as a punishment for publishing two articles by PKK leader Murat Karayilan, entitled "Let us become populist, let us win" and "Self-criticism not in words but in practice". The newspaper was accused of spreading PKK propaganda.

The closure has been based on the Anti-Terrorism Law.

Genc: Freedom of press is trampled on

Editor-in-chief Yüksel Genc pointed out that the newspaper was being punished under a law which 10th President Ahmet Necdet Sezer had sent to the Constitutional Court. He added, "It is difficult to understand that our publication is being stopped for the forth time by an Article which tramples on the freedom of the press."

"The continuing penalties have shown again that Turkey is a problematic country as far as the freedom of press and expression are concerned."

In the article published on 2 September 2007, entitled "Let us become populist, let us win", Karayilan had written: "We are a movement which is only based on its own strength." He declared that the PKK "got its power from society and that it relied on the people".

On the next day, in his article "Self-criticism not in words but in practice", Karayilan pointed out mistakes in the "Free Citizen Movement" and called for self-criticism.

Forth closure 

Gündem newspaper has been closed three times before: On 6 March 2007 for 30 days, on 9 April 2007 for 15 days, on 12 July 2007 for 15 days.

DTP MPs: We will take this to parliament

Siirt MP Osman Özcelik of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) said, "If people are killed when it is said that there is zero tolerance of torture, if newspapers are closed when the freedom of press is talked about, then this is thought provoking. It is clear that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) is only talking about the EU norms. We will take this to parliament."

DTP MP Hasip Kaplan from Sirnak added that the new government programme had talked about an intensification of the EU accession process and the implementation of the freedom of expression: "This practice has shown that there is no tolerance of opposition voices and basic rights and freedoms are limited with the Anti-Terrorism Law."

DTP MP Akin Birdal from Diyarbakir said that he would take the issue to the Human Rights Commission in parliament: "In Ankara there are oppressive policies to shut the people up. We support the Gündem newspaper to the last."

Aysel Tugluk of the DTP added, "Such actions damage democracy. We will not allow the people's voice to be silenced."

Quoted in Daily Telegraph

Meanwhile, the British Daily Telegraph newspaper published a statement by Karayilan today (10 September). According to the newspaper, Karayilan said:

"The US and Britain came to Iraq to establish a democratic system, but this scared the Iranians, so they negotiated with us and offered many things to attack the coalition," he said under a canopy of trees near his headquarters on Iraqi territory in the Qandil mountains."

"But we told the Iranians that the US and Britain were going to solve the Kurdish problem and we will be with them." (EÖ/AG)