Newspaper Banned For Publishing Pro-Kurdish Views

Istanbul’s 9th High Criminal Court has banned the circulation of the newspaper Alternatif for one month on the grounds that it published statements on behalf of the “PKK/KONGRA-GEL” (Kurdish Workers Party). Alternatif had begun its life  in May.

The court concluded the application by the Office of the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor to have the September 20 issue of the newspaper seized on the same day that it was filed and the newspaper’s sale and circulation were banned.

Punishment of one month for the statements of Öcalan and Karayılan

The two articles for which the newspaper was banned were titled “They can meet with the Democratic Society Party for solving the problem” and “Claim your mother tongue”, first one expressing the opinions of Abdullah Öcalan, leader of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), who is in prison for life, and the second one Murat Karayılan’s, another high-level PKK official.

In the article, Öcalan says that he was given medicine that helped his breathing, but was being subjected to many disciplinary punishments for provoking people with his messages, and another punishment was on its way.

Öcalan is quoted in the article as saying “I am warning the people against the cultural genocide and the dangers; I express my opinions. They want me to hand over the people to them, without resisting…”

In the other article, Karayılan mainly talks about the issue of mother tongue and announces that he supports those who show their reaction to the ban on Kurdish and “the cultural genocide policies.”

Düşün: We will not compromise our principles

Cevat Düşün, license holder and chief editor for the newspapers Alternatif and Gelecek, says that they will not give up even thoughboth newspapers were banned three times altogether.

“We will continue publishing the facts. We will not compromise our principles. Our publishing policy is necessary for Turkey’s democratization. We will not deprive our readers of our goals and their right to information.”

Starting its life on May 19, the newspaper had already received its first banning of one month a week later.

Twelve newspaper have been banned since January 2007

Since January 2007 twelve newspapers have been banned: Gündem six times, Güncel three times, Gerçek and Demokrasi twice each, Yedinci Gün six times, Haftaya Bakış three times, Yaşamda Demokrasi once, Toplumsal Demokrasi twice, Öteki Bakış once, Yeni Bakış once, Gelecek, which started its life in May 2008, once, and Alternatif twice. (EÖ/TB)