"Mehmet's Book" still Up to Date on an Ever-Pressing Conflict

Journalist and author Nadire Mater read sections of her work "Mehmet's book" in a play reading as part of the Political Plays Festival held in Beyoğlu (Istanbul) on Wednesday (4 May). "Mehmet's book" gives voice to 42 young eye-witness who served in Turkey's pre-dominantly Kurdish South-East during their military service.

Mater pointed out that after twelve years since the book was first published it was still up to date today since "unfortunately, peace could not be established" in the meantime.

Mater started the performance with the reading of the book's preface on the process of writing the book. After that, actors Arda Aydın, Beyti Engin, Çağlar Çorumlu and Ahhan Şener read parts of several eye-witness accounts entitled "I came without having seen the enemy", "20-year-old Çiğdem passing way", "My mother asks 'Where is Muş'" and "I do not have as much soil as would fit into this ashtray - which soil am I going to defend?".

Mater rounded the performance off with the reading of the book's last part headed "On behalf of the ones who cannot talk/The ones who die become martyrs, the wounded ones become veterans; how are we going to call our children in this depression?"

The experiences of ordinary soldiers

"Voices from the Front - Turkish Soldiers on the War with the Kurdish Guerrillas" is the title of the English translation of Mater's book that was first published in Turkey in 1999 by Metis Publishing. 15,000 copies of the book were sold within two months. On 28 June 1999, the Beyoğlu Public Chief Prosecution decided to seize all copies of the book upon a notice of the General Staff Presidency. A trial was lodged against writer Mater and Metis Publishing executive Semih Sökmen.

Charges were pressed according to former Article 159 (now Article 301) of the then effective Turkish Criminal Law on "Public denigration of the state's military organizations". Both Mater and Sökmen were acquitted after eight hearings. The decision was upheld by the Court of Appeals on 16 April 2001.

The ban and prosecution of "Mehmet's book" became a symbol of the struggle for "freedom of expression" at the time. Solidarity against this violation was demonstrated in Turkey and abroad.

A campaign was initiated by a certain circle of people against Mater and her book when the book had been translated and published in Italy and Germany after procedures had been dropped. A trial was opened against journalist Emin Çölaşan, then working for Hürriyet newspaper and leader of the campaign against Mater. This file is currently pending at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

A talk with the author

"Having Mehmet's Book remembered after twelve years in such a performance that also marks the World Press Freedom Day on 3 May is exciting. At the same time, this means that unfortunately peace could still not be established in the meantime", Mater said in the beginning of her performance.

Müge Sökmen, executive of Metis Publishing, underlined that "Mehmet's Book" was one of the most important books they had printed until today. Commenting the experiences at the time, she admitted, "To tell the truth, we never left the fear behind, even though we know that we did the right thing and although we are glad about that..."

Author Mater and publisher Sökmen thanked lawyers Fikret İlkiz, Canan Arın and Fethiye Çetin for their effective struggle.

The lawyers emphasized the significance of the book in terms of journalism and the struggle for rights both twelve years ago and also nowadays.

The festival will be continued with various other sessions and performances in Istanbul on 6 and 7 May. (EÖ/VK)