Even More Books Prosecuted in 2002

Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Colleagues,

In first place, I would like to thank you for your valuable solidarity with us, against the banning of the books and sentences for the publishers of Turkey.

The support of world's community of publishers gave us courage and endurance. I would like to give a brief picture of the freedom to publish in the last period. In 2000, 20 books of 14 publishing houses were banned or accused.

In 2001 42 books of 23 publishing houses and 38 writers had the same destiny. The total number of the banned publications (as books and periodicals) in 2001 was 1300. And majority of the books confiscated before legal process.

4 books sentenced

Rarely these cases finished as acquitted. In the first nine months of year 2002 more books were accused then the last year. These were 51 books. As a promising development, 11 of these were acquitted. But 4 books were sentenced. Other cases are going on. The reason of this rising trend of confiscations may be explained by the more nationalistic structure of the last coalition government.

This phenomenon has caused a contradictionary situation. On the one hand, there has been some legal preparations for European Unity, on the other hand there was more intolerance against different and opponent expressions. What is more, it has been observed a kind of politicalisation in Turkish justice system, unfortunately.

Dependent to the personnel tendencies of jurists, more tolerant or more intolerant judgments could come. Further more, the conservative tendencies more affected the banning decrees about the books, which has erotical and sexual expressions. Beside the books about Kurdish question, more books about minorities in Turkey were banned and accused.

Campaigns against minorities

This is affected also by the extreme right's campaigns against the minorities during the last year. Main accusations against the books were separatism ( books about Kurdish question or minorities), insulting against the state and its institutions (books about human rights' abuses and the ideological cadres in police), to help illegal organizations (interviews with guerilla or the history of left) and to disturb people's moral values (erotical expressions).

Also the collection of caricatures and comics were confiscated and accused. These were mostly accused of harassing people's moral values. The most striking banning decree was about a dictionary about women's slang. Also the grammar and dictionary of local pontiac/greek language, spoken in Turkish region of Black Sea, was banned.

So the pressures on Kurdish culture began to spread to other cultural heritage of Anatolia. This is also threatening European Unity process, which gives priority to the protection of minorities. But as the publisher's community, we wish to be more hopeful for the next period upon the elections in November.

The list of the books banned (Publisher, name of the books and writers)

Akyüz, Semra Koçiva, Lazona: Laz Halk Gercekligi Uzerine- Lazona:About the Reality of Laz People

Anadolu, Ali O. Köse, Hapisanelerde Katliam- Massacre in Prisons

Anadolu,Ali O. Köse, İskence I - The Torture I

Aram, Noam Chomsky, Amerikan Müdaheleciligi - The American Interventionism (Acquital)

Aram, Antoloji, Bu Yürek Daglar Asar: Guerilla Siiri 1 - Guerilla Poetry I: This Heart will get over the Mountains

Aram, Antoloji, İcimizde Bir Parca ulke: Gerilla anıları 2 - Guerilla Memories2: A Piece of Land in Us

Aram, Antoloji, Dagin Kalbinde Gizliyiz: Gerilla Siiri 1 - Guerilla Poetry I: We are hidden in the Heart of the Mountains

Aram, Gül Ç. Günertekin, Dilimiz Varligimiz, Dilimiz Kimligimiz - Our Language Our Identity

Avesta, J.Randall, Bunca Bilgiden Sonra - After Knowing All This (Sentenced)

Avesta, Malmisanij, Kürt Talebe Hevi Cemiyeti- Hevi: Kurdish Student Union

Ayrinti, Dragan Babic, Son Surgun- The Last Exile

Belge, Huseyin Turhall, Ozgurluk Turkusu- The Ballad of Freedom

Belge, Omer Asan, Pontos Kültürü - The Pontos Culture

Boran, Derleme, Milliyetcilik Cikmazi - The Deadlock of Nationalism

BYK, Mahir Kaynak, Yel Üfürdü Sel Götürdü- Wind blew, Flood Took Away (Acquittal)

Civiyazilari, Aysul Yüksel, Tarkan-Yildiz Olgusu - Tarkan: As a Fact of Star Acquital)

Dogan, Kemal Yalcin, Emanet Çehiz - The Bridal Trousseau

Everest, Serge Bramly, Yatak Odasinda Teror - Terror in Bedroom

Everest, Elfride Jelinek, Piyanist - The Pianist

Firat, Kemal Suphandag, Agri Direnisi ve Haydaranlilar - The Tribe of Haydaran and the Ararat Resistance

Gendas, Mehmed Uzun, Nar Çiçekleri - Pomegranade Flowers (Acquital)

Gendas, Mehmet Uzun, Bir Dil Yaratmak - Building up a Language (Acquital)

Hades, Hursit Gara, Ergenlik Cagi - The Age of Adolescence (Sentenced)

Hades, Apollinaire, Onbirbin Kirbac - Ten thousand eleven Whips (Sentenced)

Iletisim, Celal Baslangic, Korku Tapinagi - The Temple of Fear (Acquital)

Iletisim, Nese Duzel, Turkiye'nin Gizlenen Yuzu - The Hidden Face of Turkey (Acquital)

Municipality of Kutahya, Mustafa Gazal, Evlilik Rehberi - The Guide of Marriage

Mem, Mahsun Safak, PKK ve Degisim Stratejisi - PKK and The Strategy of Transformation

Mem, Mahsun Safak, VI. Ulusal Kongre Raporu - The Report of VI. Congress

Mem, A. Öcalan, Cetecilige Karsi Mucadele - Struggle against the Gangs

Metis, Filiz Bingolce, Kadin Argosu Sozlugu - The Dictionary of Women Slang

Ozan, Turan Feyizoglu, IBO-Ibrahim Kaypakkaya - The Life of Kaypakkaya (After Acquital, Appeal Court refused))

Pencere, Necdet Buldan, Savasa Mektup - Letter to my Brother Savas

Peri, Murat Erol Coskun, Acinin Dili Kadin - Woman,the Language of Pain

Pinar, Cihan Aktas, Bacidan Bayana - From Sister to Lady

Piramid, Erje Aydin, Ikinci Caddenin Cilgin Yesili - The Crazy Green of Second Avenue

Piramid, Erje Aydin, Hauptbahnhof'da Bir Trene Bindim - Got on Train in Hauptbahnhof

Sel, Enis Batur, Elma - The apple (Acquital)

Sel, Metin Ustundag, Pazar Sevisgenleri - Sunday Lovers (Acquital)

Sel, Mehmet Erguven, Pusudaki Ten - Skin in Trap (Acquital)

Su, Salih Kevirbiri, Bir Cigligin Yuzyili-Karapete Xaco - Century of a Cry: Adulator Karapete Xaco

Su, Melih Pekdemir, Ocalan Devlet mi? - A Revenger State? (Sentenced)

Su, Zübeyr Kudra, Fetullah'in Coplari - The Sticks of Fetullah

STKB, Hocanin Okullari - The Schools of Hoca (Acquital)

Tavir, Ahmet Kulaksiz, Zehra ile Canan - Zehra and Canan: Two Sister died in Hunger Strike

Tohum, Aytekin Yilmaz, cok Kulturlulukten Tek Kulturluluge Anadolu - Anatolia: From Multiculturalism to Monoculture

Umut, Direnme Ruhu - The Spirit of Resisting

Umut, Rüzgar Bizden Yana - The Wind is on our Side

Zaman, Necati Kola, Bir isyanin Modeli: Terimizm - A Model of Uprising: Terimism

Ahmet Özcan, Derin Devlet ve Muhalefet Gelenegi, The Deep State and the Tradition of Opposition

Salman Yüksel, Ankara Çetesinin Vatan Kurtarma Operasyonu - The Operation of Saving the Country by Ankara Gang

Salman Yüksel, Çetenin Kimligi, The Identity of the Gang (RZ/NM)

* Ragip Zarakolu is the member of the Publishers Union of Turkey, Freedom to Publish Committee.