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International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) has launched a campaign of support for writer and academic Fikret Başkaya, who will stand trial at the Ankara 21st Heavy Penal Court on November 22.
The campaign of the IFEX has been supported by 23 freedom of expression and press organizations from 5 continents and 19 countries. Sending a brief message to President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the organizations have called on the authorities "to dismiss the terrorist propaganda charges against him."
International PEN also released a statement two days ago and announced that they stand with Başkaya, who will stand trial on November 22.
'We call for dismissal of charges against Başkaya'
The following letter has been addressed to Erdoğan:
"Dear Mr President, The undersigned freedom of expression and human rights organizations worldwide are writing to you to call for the dismissal of charges against Turkish academic co-founder and president of Free University and writer Fikret Başkaya, and an end to similar unjustified charges against other Turkish citizens.
"While your government declared an end to Turkey's state of emergency last year, by independent estimates over 130 journalists and writers remain in prison in Turkey, while hundreds more are currently being tried on charges of 'terrorist propaganda' for what by international standards would be considered simple expression of their views. Fikret Başkaya is among them. His next and perhaps last hearing is scheduled to take place at Ankara's 21st Heavy Criminal Court on November 22, 2019. He is facing charges of 'terrorist propaganda' for a single critical article published in November 2016, and now faces imprisonment of up to five years.
"As you know, Turkey signed the UN Declaration of Human Rights and ratified the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, in which article 19 guarantees the right to freedom of expression. Turkey is also a party to the the European Convention on Human Rights, whose article 10 similarly guarantees that right. Article 90 of Turkey's Constitution affirms that such instruments duly ratified carry the force of law in Turkey. While these articles make allowances for limitations of that right in narrow circumstances, peaceful criticism of state policies, even harshly or offensively worded, cannot reasonably be said to meet these criteria, and is a normal and vital part of social debate in free and democratic societies.
"Ending Fikret Başkaya's prosecution and similar procedures against academics and writers as well as bringing anti-terrorism and defamation laws in line with international standards would be an important signal that Turkey takes these obligations seriously, and help to normalize its relationship with other Member States."
Signatories of the letter
Initiative for Freedom of Expression - Turkey
Adil Soz - International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech (Kazakhstan)
Albanian Media Institute (Albania)
Cartoonists Rights Network International (US)
Freedom Forum (US)
Free Media Movement (Sri Lanka)
Freedom of Expression Institute (South Africa)
Fundamedios - Andean Foundation for Media Observation and Study (Ecuador)
Independent Journalism Center (Moldova)
Düşünce Suçu(!?)na Karşı Girişim (Turkey)
International Press Centre/IPC (Nigeria)
Mediacentar Sarajevo (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Media Foundation for West Africa/MFWA (Ghana)
Media Rights Agenda/MRA (Nigeria)
Media Watch (Australia)
Norwegian PEN
PEN America
PEN International
Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression/SCM (France)
South East Europe Media Organisation
Vigilance for Democracy and the Civic State (Croatia)
Danish PEN
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (Tunisia)
Dr. Baskin Oran, Professor Emeritus of International Relations, Ankara University (Turkey)
What happened?
A lawsuit was filed against writer and former academic Fikret Başkaya on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" as per the Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK) due to his article "The Real Terror is the State Terror' published on the website of Free University (ozguruniversite.org), which is affiliated with the Turkey and Middle East Forum Foundation.
In addition to this article published on November 7, 2016, the photographs found during the search of his house and his articles were also cited the justification for the lawsuit.
About Fikret BaşkayaBaşkaya was born in 1940 in Denizli province. He graduated from the departments of finance and economy in the Faculty of Political Sciences at Ankara University. He completed his doctorate studies at universities of Paris and Poitiers. He did a lot of studies on underdevelopment, imperialism and problems in transition from capitalism to socialism. After he returned to Turkey, he was exiled to Oltu, Erzurum being considered "unfavorable private" from Officer Candidate School where he was doing his mandatory military service. He worked as a researcher at various institutions after his military service ended. He gave economy lectures at Social Services Academy for a while. He was sentenced to 20 months for opposing to Law on Anti-Terror due to his book called "Paradigmanın İflası" as he was an academic member in the Faculty of Economics at Abant İzzet Baysal University. He did time in Haymana Closed Prison. In 2004, Başkaya faced up to 3 years in prison on charge of "insulting legal personality of the state" due to his articles he included in his book called "Akıntıya Karşı Yazılar" (Articles Against the Current". Ankara 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance ordered his acquittal ruling that Başkaya "remained within the limits of criticism" in 2005. In 2006, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism included Başkaya's book "Paradigmanın İflası" in its audiobook project. Başkaya has been giving lectures at Özgür Üniversite (Free University), which he founded, since 2007. |
(AÖ/SD)
