While Adana Prosecutor’s Office issued an nolle prosequi for Hüseyin Avni Coş, former governor of Adana, for calling an individual “idiot” during an official ceremony, Istanbul 2nd Assize Court convicted Yurt newspaper columnist Hakan Gülseven of insult for reporting on the issue.
The court also ordered Gülseven to serve 11 months 20 days of prison - a sentence that was commuted to 7,000 lira [around 2,300 euros] fine.
The incident dates back to November 10, 2013 on the death anniversary of Atatürk - Turkey’s first president.
“Bring that idiot [gavat in Turkish] who damned on me,” Governor Coş ordered his guards as he was leaving the ceremony attended by at least 3,000 people. He faced protests during the ceremony.
Authorities also issued a 186 lira [around 60 euros] fine to 9 protestors within Turkey’s Fault Law (Kabahatler Kanunu).
Columnist’s words
Columnist Gülseven’s words that originated the case are as follows:
“Whatever…Everybody knows that the people don’t love this governor. Maybe he can’t express himself, I don’t know. At the end of the day, he was booed by hundreds of people. What did he do? He got out of the car, he stood on his feet like a Chinese soldier and shouted with a determination - again at his guards: Bring that idiot [gavat in Turkish] who damned on me…Thinking of it now, I agree with Governor Coş. Yes, that’s right. There is at least one idiot in Adana.” (EÖ/AS)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.
