Journalist Acquitted after Using Kurdish Letters Q, W and X

Yasin Yetişgen is the editor of the local Çoban Ateşi (Shepherd's Fire) newspaper in Gaziantep, southern Turkey.

He has been on trial for using the letters q, w and x, which exist in the Kurdish alphabet but not in the Turkish one. The law cited was Article 222 of the Turkish Penal Code, which upholds the ban on non-Turkish letters introduced in 1928, as well as the compulsory wearing of hats introduced in 1925. The law carries between two and six months imprisonment.

At a hearing at the Gaziantep 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 4 June, he was acquitted. The court argued that Yetişgen did not commit a crime.

Prosecutor: Law not aimed at Kurdish

Prosecutor Mahmut Yalçın argued that the old law against non-Turkish letters had been used to prevent the use of the Arabic alphabet instead of the Turkish alphabet newly created then.

The journalist had published a Kurdish biography and a poem of Kurdish poet Abdula Pêşew in its 40th issue of 17 January 2008, and of poet Ahmed Arif in its 41st issue of 31 January 2008.

Following the demand of the Gaziantep Chief Public Prosecution, the issues had been confiscated.

Dissident media targeted

In a written statement, the newspaper had protested against the confiscation decision by Judge Ali Çetin of Gaziantep's 3rd Criminal Court of First Instance. The newspaper had argued that it was "thought provoking" that local publications were being confiscated while the state TRT 6 channel was broadcasting in Kurdish (since January 2009).

"If the Çoban Ateşi is committing a crime, then so is TRT. The fact that judiciary institutions ignore the big TRT and focus on Antep's only dissident newspaper is thought provoking, in our opinion. If it is being accused of committing crimes because of its use of Kurdish, then it has been committing this crime for 40 issues."

The Gaziantep 2nd Criminial Court of First Instance had merged the cases of the two issues. The acquittal was decreed at the third hearing of the case. (EÖ/AG)