FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Caricatursit Özdabak Faces 20,000 TL Compensation Claim
A compensation case against caricaturist Halil İbrahim Özdabak from Yeni Asya ('New Asia') newspaper has been launched on the grounds of a caricature published on 21 May 2009.
The illustration refers to President Judge Osman Kaçmaz of the Sincan (central Anatolia) 1st High Criminal Court who intends to prosecute President Abdullah Gül regarding the investigation into "Lost Billions". It shows a person in a judge's robe on a podium positioned on a tank, ignoring the road sign to "Ergen" but instead following the sign to "Sincan Avenue".
TL 20,000 compensation claim
Özdabak faces a compensation claim of 20,000 Turkish Lira (TL) (€ 9,525) in the latest case launched on the grounds of the caricature. The case will be heard at the Sincan 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 23 March.
Additionally, Özdabak is prosecuted under charges of article 125 of the Turkish Crimial Code (TCK) under charges of "insulting personal rights", facing prison sentence of two years and eight months. The case was postponed to 22 February.
Prosecutor Ali Çakır, who filed the case against caricaturist Özdabak on 18 August 2009, previously prepared an indictment on "influencing the judiciary" against Milliyet and Radikal newspapers for criticizing the cancellation of the Ottoman Armenian Conference. Furthermore, the prosecutor filed a complaint against artist Bülent Ersoy for "alienating the public from military service" and launched an investigation into artist Hülyar Avşar.
Acquittal for "Owl in a judge's robe"
Öydabak was also tried for illustrating Supreme Court Public Prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalçınkaya, who filed a closure case against the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and was depicted in the caricature as an owl in a judge's robe. The cartoonist was acquitted on 24 March 2009. (EÖ/VK)