Insult of Anti-Militarist Journalists: Court Case Starts

At the first hearing at the Bakirköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul on 2 February, the prosecution demanded punishment for editor Mustafa Dolu of the Tercüman newspaper for permitting journalists of the paper to insult journalists Perihan Mağden and Ece Temelkuran.

The prosecution referred to two articles published on 18 and 19 January 2008 and entitled “You Answer that Ugly Woman” and “These Women Have Lost Their Way” respectively.

The second article is related to a Turkish flag which high school students made from their own blood and sent to the then-General Staff Yaşar Büyükanit. He had shown the flag to journalists a week before, expressing his pride in the children. The Tercüman newspaper had even distributed promotional copies of this “flag” to its readers.

Reaction to "flag of blood"

Both Mağden and Temelkuran had reacted to the flag in their columns. On 15 January, Radikal newspaper columnist Mağden had written an article entitled “Flag of Blood”, in which she condemned the militarist, war-mongering and violent atmosphere which had inspired the children to such an act. She also condemned Büyükanit’s reaction. Her article ended: “No one should die on this soil anymore. There should be no more odes to being killed and killing in this country. Let there be no applause and tears for such pathological expressions on this soil. Let there be no more discourse of “martyrs.”

Temelkuran had written an article entitled “Bloodflag, Flagblood” in the Milliyet newspaper on 18 January, in which she had said: “If only this noise, which makes flags out of children and dead children out of flags, would end.”

Tercüman's reaction 

In an article entitled “These women have lost their way”, which included their photographs, the Tercüman newspaper said:

“While reactions against the flag-enemy Mağden are continuing, another ugly (person) has emerged. Ece Temelkuran has also had the cheek to insult the Turkish flag and has committed a crime (…). Reactions continue to flood in against Radikal newspaper journalist Perihan Mağden, whose name has been associated with polemics recently, and her ugly words, which are remote from a Turkish identity.”

Editor rejects accusation

Tercüman editor Mustafa Dolu spoke in his defence at the first hearing, claiming that the expression “ugly” was not intended to insult. He added that editor-in-chief Ufuk Büyükçelebi was above him in the newspaper hierarchy.

The prosecution demanded punishment under Article 125 of the Penal Code. The hearing was postponed until 23 February.

Second case of insults

Another journalist is on trial for an article on Perihan Mağden. Oray Eğin, journalist at the Akşam newspaper, wrote an article entitled “This year’s scandal: the columnist who had too much to drink at Çankaya”, Çankaya referring to the presidential residence and a reception taking place there on 29 October 2007.

The court case continued on 4 February, when the court listened to Eğin’s statement. He said that he had written about what he had been told. The case continues on 27 April. (EÖ/AG)