A Big Baby is Born Out of Bans on Thought!

Human rights activists compiled a voluminous book out of regulations that limit the freedom of thought. The Initiative Against Crimes of Thought, who made the study said: There is much more to be done until we can say thought is no longer a crime!

Erol Önderoğlu

A new book, which was compiled by studying laws for over a year and which puts together regulations that limit the freedom of thought, has been published. The book was prepared with the efforts of a group of human rights activists who name themselves as "Initiative against Crimes of Thought."

Husnu Ondul, head of the Human Rights Association (IHD), Yilmaz Ensaroglu, head of the pro-Islamist Association for Human Rights and Solidarity for the Oppressed (MAZLUMDER), Yavuz Onen, head of the Turkish Human Rights Foundation (TIHV), and Sanar Yurdatapan, the spokesman for the "Initiative Against Crimes of Thought," Tuesday sent a copy of the 2,148-page book to politicians and state officials.

Among the receipents were The Presidency, Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM), Prime Ministry, the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court of Appeals, Council of State, Justice, Foreign and Interior Ministries, TMBB Human Rights Commission and the Human Rights Department of the Prime Ministry.

The outcome is painful and horrible

The study was aimed at compiling every rule that eliminate, prevent or limit the freedom of "thought, conscience and expression in the decisions of the Cabinet of Ministers, and regulations and circulars issued by ministries, their sub-offices or other public institutions." The study was overseen by Prof. Semih Gemalmaz of Istanbul Universitys Faculty of Law.

The group urges that "a lot more has to be done until we can say thought is no longer a crime in Turkey." The outcome of the study was painful and horrible, they argue.

The group spokesperson said that a "big, hardbound, 2,148-page and 2.5 kilogram baby" was born out of the study and sent a "brief and straight" message to the state:

* The Constitutional amendments in 10 articles and amendments to some 90 laws Turkey made, as part of its bid to join the EU, are generally positive.

* But the bans on thought have spread into the smallest cells of the body of the society like cancer.

* If you want to say, "We have lifted the ban on thought," come on. The volume of your mission is 2,148 pages and 2.5 kilograms! (EA/YE)

Erol Önderoğlu

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İstanbul Üniversitesi Fransız Filolojisi Bölümü'nden mezun. 1996'da muhabiri olduğu uluslararası Sınır Tanımayan Gazeteciler (RSF) örgütünün Türkiye temsilcisi olarak çalışıyor. 1999'dan beri İPS İletişim Vakfı'nın projesi olan bianet sitesinde, Hukuki Destek Masası koordinatörü, ifade özgürlüğü editörü ve yayın yönetmeni olarak çalıştı. 4.800'den fazla imzalı haber ve makalesi bulunuyor. Bizim Gazete ve Güncel Hukuk dergisi için haber ve makaleler yazdı. Halen bianet'te Medya Gözlem Raporları'nı hazırlıyor.