Albayrak to Prison for Ataturk Article

An appeals court upheld the 15-month prison sentence handed to Albayrak of daily Milli Gazete, in line with the law to protect Ataturk. The court wanted the same prison sentence, handed to editor-in-chief Terzi, to be commuted to a fine.

Erol Önderoğlu

An appeals court upheld the15-months prison sentence handed to Hakan Albayrak, the former owner of the "Milli Gazete" (National Newspaper), in line with law no: 5816 about "Crimes Against Ataturk."

Due to a law accepted in 1951, Albayrak will remain in prison for five months.

The Association of Freedom of Expression and Education (Ozgur Der) stated that the appeals court wanted the 15-months prison sentence also handed to Mehmet Terzi, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper at the time, to be commuted to a fine.

Albayrak stood trial for writing: "Mustafa Kemal Pasha was buried without funeral prayers. This did disturb neither the state, nor the society."

In his article called "A Funeral Prayer," which was published on June 20, 2000.

"From what I understand, they are saying 'you have to pay the price of not being pro-Ataturk," said Albayrak. "And I am saying 'ok, I will pay whatever the price is."

In a statement, Ozgur Der said: "The outcome of this trial shows once again that the European Union reforms in Turkey about freedom of views and expression are only on paper. There is no change in implementation." (EO/BB/EA/YE)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

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A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without...

A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where he began as a reporter in 1996. Since 1999, he has worked at bianet, a project of the IPS Communication Foundation, as the coordinator of the Legal Support Desk, editor for freedom of expression, and editor-in-chief. He has authored more than 4,800 signed news articles and opinion pieces. He has also written for Bizim Gazete and the journal Güncel Hukuk. He currently prepares the Media Monitoring Reports at bianet.