General Staff Takes Journalist Dilipak To The Court

The General Staff files a complaint about journalist Abdurrahman Dilipak for denigrating the Armed Forces using article 301.

Erol Önderoğlu

Abdurrahman Dilipak, newspaper columnist for “Anadolu’da Vakit” has been sued for his article “Cübbe Sarık”, published on February 13, 2008. He is accused of “denigrating the armed forces through media.”

The case was filed following a complaint made by the General Staff to the Ministry of Interior on February 18, which asked that the journalist be punished according to article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

“A white turban wrapped over a green fez instead of their officer’s hat”

It is claimed in the complaint that the reality, the public good and the intellectual connection criteria between the subject and its expression are exceeded and the Turkish Armed Forces is targeted directly by said article.

On September 17, Dilipak will face the judge at the Bakırköy Court of First Instance. In the meantime, the court is waiting for Interior Minister’s permission to be able to try the case.

The article said, “They might place a white turban wrapped over a green fez instead of their officer’s hat somewhere visible in their houses… Let us remember how the Red Army disappeared over one night…The society in Turkey is scared and controlled through briefings, unsolved murders and files on people…There have been covert action to stir the country, in the east through JİTEM and in the west through non-governmental organizations…The leader of the patriots is accused of his expression “We had four thousand soldiers walk in their civilian clothes and nobody realized it.”

Zarakolu was convicted; the other files are at the ministry

The latest conviction for violating article 301 was Ragıp Zarakolu, owner of Belge Publishing. The other 301 cases have been sent to the Ministry of Interior in accordance with the latest revision in article 301, which went into effect on May 7 under the title of “denigrating the Turkish Nation, the State of the Turkish Republic and its institutions and organs.”

According to Bianet’s Media Monitoring Report, published on May 1, there were 42 people on trial in the period January-February-March for the violation of article 301 and 12 of these cases were new. In 2007, the number of those on trial for 301 was 55. (EÖ/EZÖ/TB)

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

all articles of the author

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.