Banned Books of Avesta Publishing on Parliamentary Agenda

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Siirt MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Meral Danış-Beştaş has brought the ban of three books published by the Avesta Publishing House into parliamentary agenda by submitting a parliamentary inquiry to be responded by Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül.

In the inquiry, she has said, "It is very striking that the majority of the books which have been banned are sources about the history of Kurdish people."

The Çukurca Penal Court of Peace previously ruled that three books published by Avesta Publishing, namely Kurdish National Movement by Chris Kutschera, Kurds and Kurdistan by Abdurrahman Qasimlo and 1880 Kurdish Revolt Sheikh Ubeydullah Nehri by Celîlê Celîl, shall be confiscated on the ground of "inciting the public to enmity and hatred."

"Banned books are about history of Kurdish people"

In the parliamentary inquiry, Danış-Beştaş has reminded that 10 other books published by the same publishing house have also been banned over the last year and added,

"In the current situation, it is highly striking that the bans imposed on books have become ordinary and, moreover, the majority of the books which have been banned are sources about the history of the Kurdish people."

"How many times did these books incite the public to enmity and hatred?"

Reminding that the confiscation ruling in question has been given on the ground of "inciting the public to enmity and hatred", Danış-Beştaş has asked, "On what grounds do these books incite the public to enmity and hatred?"

Danış-Beştaş has also stated, "How many times did these books incite the public to enmity and hatred before that the courts came to the conclusion that they have constituted a crime?"

In the inquiry, Danış-Beştaş has also posed the question, "Do the rulings of ban, which mostly apply to the books about Kurdish history and culture, aim to sever the ties of the Kurdish people with their past and history?"

History of Kurdistan book was also banned

In July 2018, the book "Kürdistan Tarihi" (History of Kurdistan), which was prepared by the Kurdish Studies Center and published by the Avesta Publishing House, was banned again after 17 years as per the ruling of the Ayvalık Penal Court of Peace.

Nine other books by the same publishing house were also banned:

Kan, İnançlar ve Oy Pusulaları (Blood, Beliefs and Voting Papers), Cesur Adamların Ülkesine Yolculuk (Journey to the Country of Brave Men), Tasavvur mu Gerçek mi? (Is it a Vision or Reality?), Mağdur Diasporadan Sınırötesi Vatandaşlığa mı? (From the Victim Diaspora to Transboundary Citizenship?), Ülkemde Bir Yabancı (A Foreigner in My Country), Kürdistan Bayrağının Altında ve Irak'ta Soykırım (Genocide Under the Flag of Kurdistan and in Iraq), Mahabad Kürt Cumhuriyeti Büyük Güçlerin Politikasında Kürtler 1941-1947 (Kurds in the Policies of Mahabad Kurdish Republic 1941-1947), Çaldıran Savaşı'nda Osmanlılar, Safeviler ve Kürtler (Ottomans, Safavids and Kurds in Battle of Chaldiran) and Tanrı ve Şeyh Adi Kusursuzdur: Yezidi Tarihinden Kutsal Şiirler ve Dinsel Anlatılar (God and Sheikh are Common Flawless: Holy Poems and Religious Narratives from the Yazidi History).

(BK/SD)