D&R Book Store Censors Bir+Bir Magazine

The D&R store for books and magazines stopped selling the bir+bir ('one+one') magazine after an according e-mail of the management was sent to all branches. Reason for suspending the magazine from sale was the reaction of a "sensitive citizen".

The magazine announced in the internet, "Let us not be deterred by today's fascism".

Bookstores of "sensitive citizens"

Previously, the Nezih Book Store stopped selling the 2011 agenda of Metis which had the topic "Racism, Discrimination and Hate Crimes". One customer had criticized the page of 10 November because of a certain drawing. Again, the book store reasoned the sales suspension with a "sensitive citizen". Shortly after, another censorship news came from the D&R stores that belong to the Doğan Media Group.

The store management announced that the "Istikbal March" published in the magazine was denigrating the "Istiklal March" which is the title of the Turkish national anthem. Hence, the customers "rightfully" complained about the magazine, it was said. Therefore, sales of the magazine were stopped in all branches and the copies were removed from the shelves.

Thereupon, the magazine published an announcement on its website BirDirBir.org and said that the decision of D&R was "like a joke". The announcement read as follows:

"What happened to Bir+Bir is just a drop in an ocean. But it is possible to see the whole picture in this one drop".

"Let us remember the Prime Minister's words when he justified lynch attempts: 'The sensitivity of a citizen'. Also the D&R officials echoed the Prime Minister's words when they were asked why they banned Bir+Bir from sales: 'The sensitivity of a citizen...' Only last week, the Nezih book store had all copies of the Metis 2011 Agenda removed. We are seeing typical examples of fascism every day. This week it is our turn."

"[D&R wrote:] Our clients rightfully complained about an inappropriate poem on the first page of the Bir+Bir magazine that denigrates the Istiklal March. The publication has been banned from sales in all our stores. The publication is to be removed from the shelves urgently..."

"A drop in the ocean"

"We just made a little joke, a joke between us and our readers", bir+bir stated. "We made a joke to make our readers smile a little bit. Later on, it turned into a real joke. A drop that depicts the whole ocean".

The Bir+Bir magazines called on their readers to stand up against fascism. (BÇ/VK)