Intellectuals Defy Turkish Penal Code

Seven of 20 intellectuals who willingly violated the restrictive articles of Turkish Penal Code plead guilty before the public prosecutor. They testify that they admitting the results have undersigned a 31 point text to violate the articles.

Erol Önderoğlu

A group of Turkish intellectuals who organized a civil disobedience act on March 28 demanding the withdrawal of Penal Code articles restricting the freedom of thought, have appeared before an Istanbul prosecutor on Friday where they owned up to their actions and said they knowingly and willingly carried it out.

The civil disobedience group, totaling 20 intellectuals, had undersigned a 31-point text which violated anti-democratic articles of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) before filing a complaint against themselves for their action.

Seven of 20 involved in the violations appeared in front of Prosecutor Nurten Altinok at the Sultanahmet Justice Hall where their identical statements consisted of the sentence the signature belongs to me, I participated in this knowingly and willingly. I have nothing else to say.

Initiative Against Thought Crime spokesman Sanar Yurdatapan said in a statement he made at the Justice Hall that they were fighting the obstacles in front of the freedom of opinion and expression and criticized the new Anti-Terror Law that is being debated at Parliament.

Author Sema Kaygusuz, journalists Perihan Magden, Abdurrahman Dilipak, Pınar Selek, musician Sanar Yurdatapan, Mazlumder Chairman Cevat Ozkaya were among those who testified Friday.

Attorney Gulden Sonmez, Oya Baydar, Ece Temelkuran and Mahir Günsıray who could not go to testify will do so on May 15.

The civil disobedience act targets the abolishment of the crimes "Insult of principle national interests article 305, "Degrading Turkishness, the Republic, institutions and organs of the state article 301, "Inciting hatred and enmity among the people and insult article 216 and "Attempting to influence a fair trial" article 288. (EO/KO/II/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.