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September 22, 2006

Turkey Haggles over Sophia

Gobble, gobble... free speech... gobble, gobble...

 

 

Turkey, which has been trying to come out of the oven as it attempts to qualify for entry into the EU despite strong opposition from a majority within several EU countries, took a huge step for human rights and free speech this week.

 

At issue was a rather sizable flap over whether an author could be prosecuted for defaming Turkish ancestors or for criticizing the well-known atrocities committed against ethnic Armenians over the centuries. The law, Article 301, was used by hard-line prosecutors to go after popular writer of fiction Elif Shafak for “Insulting Turkishness”; however, the judge disagreed, dismissing the case. The prosecutors then stormed out of the courthouse, accusing the judge of being a strange bird dropping the charges, and claiming that roasting Turkey should do more than make one sleepy.

 

The BBC says that,

 

The charge related to her latest novel The Bastard of Istanbul. [Order it now through Barnes & Noble]

 

The novel centres on two families - one Turkish, one Armenian - and includes discussion of the mass killing of Armenians in the dying days of the Ottoman  [and La-Z-Boy] Empire.

 

Armenia insists Turkey recognise that as genocide.

 

The report goes on to say that prosecutors claim that it’s a cultural thing, and we just don’t understand:

 

"In our culture no-one can brand their ancestors murderers or accuse them of genocide," Kemal Kerincsiz insisted ahead of the trial.

 

[…]

 

 "Maybe in the West they're more tolerant, but here we can't accept those comments as criticism."

 

I can’t make this up. No word whether Article 301 also includes mention of Turkey's past performance in football tournaments.

 

Fortunately, Elif Shafak is now resting at home with her husband Eyup and new baby (the latter she was bringing into the world as the trial was undergoing in her absence) and  delighted to hear the judge has agreed that prosecutors were simply pursuing an untamed ornithoid.

 

Another positive development during the trial was the number of democratic supporters amassed outside the courthouse to show their solidarity with Shafak; many of whom along with EU officials in Brussels are calling for the elimination of Article 301. Turkish officials may be considering that necessary revision in the intervening weeks.

 

 

Blogbat of course is happy to see all of these developments despite the fact that on the scale of tolerence Turkey isn't exactly at the Pope level (and most certainly not at the Danish cartoonist or Dutch movie director level), though it is good progress to pass the author of fiction milestone. While human rights did certainly take a hit at the fall of Constantinople, it seems possible that finally after five hundred years of decay and abuse, Istanbul may once more be reemerging out of the shadows as a place people can actually live and offer...thanksgiving.

 

 

Posted by Martin at September 22, 2006 08:05 PM

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