A REPORT FROM A CENSURED WEB PAGE [DİHA]
Penalty for Journalist over ‘Wolf Politician’ Report
Click here to read the article in Turkish / Haberin Türkçesi için buraya tıklayın.
Sinan Aygül, Chief Editor of Bitlis local news portal www.bitlishaber.com.tr has been imposed a punitive fine for using the expression “wolf” referring to Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP Vahit Kiler in his report about the projects “Nemrut Geopark” and “Geothermal Energy Facility” launched by Vahit Kiler, then MP of AKP in Bitlis before removel of Veysel Yurdakul, would be cancelled and made benefitable for the supporters of AKP
Tatvan 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance has sentenced Aygül to 450 euros (1,500 TL) punitive fine in equivalence to 90 days imprisonment as a result of the criminal charge of “defamation through press”.
The expression of “wolf politician” has been considered a defamation libel
The expression of “wolf politician” which Aygül had used has been considered a defamation by the 2nd Tatvan Criminal Court of First Instance to which the case was submitted upon the decision of “lack of competence” of Bitlis 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
Aygül: I am not surprised
Aygül stating he has not been surprised by the decision has expressed “Under the current circumstances in our country, it would be naive to be surprised by such a decision or to a expect a fair decision. On behalf of myself, it has been a long time since I have lost faith in the justice of judicial bodies in Turkey. Yet of course we will keep on writing with the aim of democratizing our state and to build a pure society where freedom of speech and thought subsist”..
“A disgraceful decision for freedom of press”
Aygül expressing that he knew right away what the verdict would see like as soon as the criminal charges for his expression “wolf politician” was recognised, stated “I was surprised that a phrase which I have used on my column where I believe to refer to socially significant and essential topics, has been picked out and brought against me in a quarter page long criminal charge. Already the recognition of the criminal charge, which would be considered ridiculous even by a person with minimum or no legal knowledge has indicated the verdict against me. Besides, in the scope of two other trials with the same content, Tatvan courts had ruled in favor of me yet still a punishment has been imposed by force”. (EA/DG)
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*Wolf is used with as a connotation symbol to express a person’s closeness to nationalist ideologies in modern Turkey. The use in this connotation derives originally from the “Grey Wolf Legend” and “Ergenekon Legend”. The grey wolf legendThe wolf symbolizes honor and is also considered the mother of most Turkic peoples. Asena is the name of one of the ten sons who were given birth by a mythical wolf in Turkic mythology. The legend tells of a young boy who survived a raid on his village. A she-wolf finds the injured child and nurses him back to health. He subsequently impregnates the wolf which then gives birth to ten half-wolf, half-human boys. One of these, Ashina, becomes their leader and establishes the Ashina clan which ruled theGöktürks and other Turkic nomadic empires. The wolf, pregnant with the boy's offspring, escaped her enemies by crossing the Western Sea to a cave near to the Qocho mountains, one of the cities of the Tocharians. The first Turks subsequently migrated to the Altai regions, where they are known as expert in ironworkers, as the Scythians are also known to have been. Ergenekon legendThe Ergenekon legend tells about a great crisis of the ancient Turks. Following a military defeat, the Turks took refuge in the legendary Ergenekon valley where they were trapped for four centuries. They were finally released when a blacksmith created a passage by melting rock, allowing the gray wolf Asena to lead them out.A New Year's ceremony commemorates the legendary ancestral escape from Ergenekon. Source: Wikipedia |
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