Journalists Face 3 Years Imprisonment for "Respectable" Öcalan

İskenderun Provincial Mayor Mahmut Aydıncı from the recently closed pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) is on trial for addressing imprisoned leader of the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Abdullah Öcalan as "respectable". Aydıncı is tried together with Ersen Korkmaz, owner of the Demokrat İskenderun newspaper (eastern Mediterranean coast) who is sued for publishing Aydınıcı's words.

Aydıncı and Korkmaz are tried before the Iskenderun 2^nd Criminal Court of First Instance under article 215 of the Turkish Criminal Code (TCK) on "praising crime and a criminal". The prosecutor will present his plead on 26 January 2010.

Up to 3 years imprisonment for using the expression "respectable"

Korkmaz and Aydıncı face imprisonment of up to 3 years on the grounds of the article entitled "Closing Imrali Prison and its implementations should be taken seriously for the great contribution it would make to social peace" published on 18 November 2008.

The case was initiated by the indictment prepared by İskenderun Public Prosecutor Mustafa Tarsuslu which had been accepted by the court on 24 December 2008.

Korkmaz is furthermore prosecuted under article 159 of the former TCK for his news item "The leader was taken from the Kurds and turned over to the Fascists". The article deals with a panel meeting of the Turkish Communist Party (TKP). In this trial the prosecution demands another 3 years imprisonment for Korkmaz and TKP executive Necmettin Salaz respectively under charges of "insult and ridiculing of the army and the police".

Prison sentence for Yıldırım from DTP for the term "respectable"

At the same time, DTP Elazığ chairman Baki Yıldırım received a 7 months 15 days prison sentence for saying "respectable Öcalan".

As reported by Günlük newspaper, the Elazığ 2^nd Criminal Court of First Instance considered these words as "propaganda for an illegal organization". The court converted the penalty into a monetary fine of 3,740 TL (€ 1,700). The same court previously tried Yıldırım under the same allegations and decreed for his acquittal. (EÖ/VK)