The order to close down Gundem came in the wake of Chief of General Staff Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit's recent public remarks that "such publications should not be allowed" and is the second suspension order slapped on the newspaper since August.
The August 4 decision of a 15 day suspension from print was appealed against and the daily went back into print and circulation before its due date.
Firat: "Buyukanit showed target, prosecutor acted"
Ulkede Ozgur Gundem's news editor Nurettin Firat said on the closure decision that "Buyukanit showed a target, the prosecutors acted" and referred to his statement at a November 10 cocktail where the country's top general was quoted as saying "Magazines and daily newspapers of the [outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party] PKK are being published. These should not be allowed".
Acting after the statement, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office examined the October 26, 27, 30 and 31 issues of the daily together with its November 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14 and 15, 2006 issues.
It concluded that in 13 issues the newspapers had conducted propaganda for the PKK-Kongra Gel organization "praising the offenses of the terrorist organization and praising the offenders".
It's application to the Istanbul 10th High Criminal Court to suspend the newspaper from print for 15 days was accepted in the November 16 verdict of the court.
Agar's remarks dangerous too
According to the Istanbul court, the newspaper had committed the offence of publicly inciting the commitment of an offense, praising offenses and conducting propaganda for a terror organization.
One of the issues the court cited as example included statements made by opposition True Path Party leader Mehmet Agar made to the "Haber Turk" television.
"Great blow to democratization"
Firat recalled that this was the second time the newspaper was being closed down since August 2006 and said "the decision taken on our newspaper is a great blow to the democratization process in Turkey".
"Gen. Yasar Buyukanit sees the right in himself to intervene in everything in Turkey in the recent times. Last he had shown our newspaper as a target and said it should not be allowed to publish. How else can this verdict be seen?"
According to Firat, the suspension decision is a open sign that "there is no law or democracy" in Turkey and that the military authority is above everything in the country.
"The military authority determines Turkey's agenda" he said. "We, on the other hand, base ourselves on a publishing policy of civilianization that will develop democratization. In this framework we stress that principle problems, with the Kurdish problem at top of the list, can be solved. But as in every other issue, they will not allow this in a country where military methods and authority are ruling".
600 cases against the newspaper
From its date of first print on March 1, 2004 until November 16, 2006, more than 600 cases have been filed against the newspaper and its workers out of which 128 have been concluded. The newspaper was acquitted in 11 cases. Many of its editors have been sentenced to compensation while its editor in chief Hasan Bayar was also sentenced to 70 months imprisonment.
Paper targeted in public statements
19 July 2005: Chief of General Staff Deputy Commander Ilker Basbug delivered a 3 hour long briefing to journalists influential in the Turkish media where he accused Ozgur Gundem of being on the side of the separatist organization and said "necessary measures should be taken to prevent its distribution".
11 June 2006: Minister of Justice Cemil Cicek delivered a speech at the general assembly of the Journalists Association and openly showed Ulkede Ozgur Gundem as a target, referring to it as "rubbish" and adding "this newspaper has to be stopped".
10 November 2006: Chief of General Staff Commander Gen. Yasar Buyukanit made the quoted statement against the newspaper which, after 6 days, led to this new closure. (EO/TK/II/EU)
