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Revue de Presse-Press Revieiv-Berhevoka ęape-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basin Ozeti

Mehmet Emin SERT, Emin KARACA, Dogan ÓZGUDEN: editor of ihe joumal Writing in Europę and in Turkey, and writers respectively. On trial regarding an article “Reminiscenes on ihe 30th Anniversary" by Karaca published April 2002, and “30 Years later" by Dogan Ozguden in the same issue. The articlcs refer to thc cxecution of three leaders of the revolutionary left youth movcment Progressive Youth in the 1970s. Charged with insult to the armed forces under article 159 of the Penal Codę. First hearing set before the Istanbul Penal Court No2 on 26 November 2002. ÓzgUden has bccn living in exile sińce the 1970s in Belgium where he is now editor of Info-Turk. Next hearing set for 18 February 2004 postponed to 17 May 2004. Ozguden sent a noterised letter from Belgium to the court, saying that he claimed the fuli legał responsibility regarding his article in ąuestion, and that hc won’t be attending the hearing as hc found out that an in abseniia arrest warrant against him was posted to all Turkish airports and national border gates. Ózgiiden and Karaca apparently face six year sentences, and Sert a hcavy fine.

Arif SIRIN: nationalist poet and singer (stage name “Ozan Arif’). On trial in September 2003 alongside singer Ismail Tiiriit and director Nursel Tozkoparan (f) for a song performed on te!evision on 15 April 2003 by Sirin said to have "insulted the leader of the 12 September coup Kenan Evren” under article 159 of the Turkish Penal Codę. Hearing in December 2003 adjoumed to a later datę. PEN seeking further details. Gulęięek Giinel TEKIN (0: writer. Indicted 23 December 2002 for her book “Dilimiz Varltgimiz. Dilimiz Kiilturiimiiz" (Our Language is Our Entity, Our Language is Our Culture) at fzmir State Security Court. Trial resumed at Istanbul State Security Court and ended on 4 April 2003. The prosecutor called for acquittal on the grounds that "the prosecutcd sections of the book in fact fell within the remits of the freedom of thought’’. However, she was sentenced to I year 8 months imprisonment and her publisher Fatih Tas (see above) was heavily fined. PEN seeking further details. Presumed not detained.

Ahmet TELLI and Abdullah VARLI: well known poet and writer respectively. 1) Case launched against Telli in early April 2003 on chargcs of "propaganda for an illegal organisation”. Telli States that his arrest is for unfurling a banner and reading a poem at a meeting of the Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP) of which he is a representative. (DEHAP is a legał pro-Kurdish party comprising members of three parties. They failed to obtain the 10% of votes needed to gain parliamen-tary representation during the November 2002 elections.) The event occurred in November 2002 in Izmir where Telli was standing as a DEHAP candidate. 2) Case launched against Telli and Varli. together with university students Aysen Keysan (f) and Seyhan Erkek on June 2003 on chargcs of "propaganda in a public sector building during elec-toral (propaganda restrictions] period". Charges related to a meeting on 15 October 2002, prior to the parliamentary elections on 3 November 2002. PEN seeking further details.

Mehmet Ali VARIS: publisher/owner of Tohum Publishing House. Indicted in August 2003 for the book by A. Dursun Yildiz "Ózgiir-lesmeye Pedagojik Bakis" (A Pedagogical Approach to Liberation). A phrase leading to the indietment includes "Kurdish society has been assimilated and the education system is used as a means to oppress the Alevites and Kurds." Under Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Codę. PEN seeking further details.

Asim YENIHABER: joumalist for Vakit. 312 generals have filed a lawsuit against Yenihaber and his newspaper for "insult” following an article published 25 August 2003 where the writer questioned the abili-

ties of the generals to carry out their tasks. PEN seeking further details.

•Mehmet YUREK: editor in chief of the Marmaris newspaper Degisim. Trial instigated against him under Article 482 of the Penal Codę for "insult to the honour of State president Kenan Evren”. Charges relate to an article published on 16 April 2004 entitled "Decentralization, Govcmance, and Ten Suggestions for Marmaris’ New Mayor”. Trial to start at the Marmaris Court of First Instancc on 6 July 2004. Yiirek has reportedly previously been sentenced to one year and three monlh suspended prison term on 6 March 2004 for an atricle entitled "4 Mustafa or 4 Worship".

Ragip ZARAKOLU: publisher, Belge Publishing House. Zarakolu is a recipient of the NOVIB/PEN Free Expression Award 2003. On 3 December 2003, further charges were initiated under article 312 against Zarakolu for an article published in Ózgiir Politika on 8 March 2003 entitled Sana Ne (Of No Interest) that criticised Turkey's policy towards the Kurds in lraq. Trial opened 26 May 2004 and adjoumed to 10 September 2004. Also accused are Ali ęelik Kasimogullari and Mehmet ęolak, owner and editor in chief of ózgiir Giindem (sińce closed) respectively. Zarakolu has been subject to many years of harass-ment, trials and periods of imprisonment sińce the 1970s for publishing books on such issues including minority and human rights. His publishing house was bombed by right wing extremists in 1995, forcing his publishing house underground. Honorary Member: American, English, Quebec and Swedish PEN

Sentenced: non-custodial

•Aziz AYKAę: owner and cditor-in-chief of Van Sehrivan. Sentenced to a TL 58 billion fine for not publishing a letter disclaiming an article on the Van Association of the Victims of Armenian Genocide by writer Muhittin ęeiebi published in 2003. Aykaę claimed that the disclaimer that was demanded had no relevance to the article.

Celal BESIKTEPE, Mehmet ęOLAK: columnist for and cditor-in-chief of Ózgiir Giindem (Free Agenda). On trial at Istanbul Bcyoglu Court on 17 September 2003 for an article entitled “Savas Tanrilari" (Gods of War) under article 312 of the Penal Codę. Trial adjoumed for the preparation of the defence statements. On 1 March 2004 the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey reported that ęolak was sentenced to a fine.

•Sami BUDAK: owner of the newspaper Giiney published in Siirt. Sentenced to three months in prison and a fine for an article published in September 2003 seen to be insulting to a former MP. The sentence was commuted to a fine of TL 1 billion, 156 million.

Brief Detention

•Deniz BAKIR: reporter for Dayanisma, reported on 17 January 2004 that he had been "kidnapped” by police. He claimed he had been drugged and dumped on the Bursa high road.

•Yusuf BASTUG: joumalist for Evrensel. Reportedly briefly detained on 13 June 2004 in Adana alongside Halil Emrek. a local MP. Followcd their objcctions to a police search warrant.

*UIviye KILię (f): editor in chief of Yesil Gole. Arrested on 23 April 2004 in Gole. She was freed shortly afterwards following discussions with the Govemor of Gole.

•Metin KULEKęi, Selver ORMAN: joumalist and reprcsentative of Alilim newspaper respcctively. Reported to have bee detained, presumed briefly, during a raid on their office in Ankara around 25 March 2004.

•Mehmet YUCEDAG. Medine TUNę, Sadik SURER, Fahri KILINę, Sevinę TUNCELI, Ibrahim AęiKYER: all joumalists detained at the Ózgiir Giindem officcs in Izmir and held briefly on 21 January 2004.

Attacked

•Gamze MIMAROGLU (0: editor-in-chief of Tavir. Reported that she had been beaten while being held following searches of her newspaper in Istanbul by the Istanbul Security Dircctorate on 1 April 2004.

•Mazlum OZDEMIR and others: joumalist for the Dicle News Agency. Among over 33 people briefly detained and allegedly beaten during police raids of several newspaper, cultural organisation and other association offices in Istanbul on 8 June 2004. The raids are part of anti-terrorist police actions prior to a NATO summit in Istanbul 28-29 June 2004. Ózdcmir claims to have been beaten by police when he refused to hand over his mobile phone.

•Ugras VATANDAS: joumalist for Evrensel claimed to have been beaten by police as he attempted to report on demonstrations against the NATO summit in Istanbul on 29 June 2004.

Sentenced: free pending appeal

Asiye Giizel ZEYBEK (f) arrested 22 February 1997 during a demon-stration protesting alleged links between Mafia and govemment. Zeybek, (bom 1970) editor-in-chief of Atilim, is specifically accused under Article 168 of the Penal Codę with connectionś with thc Marxist-Lcninist Communist Party (MLKP). The indietment dated from 21 June 1994 accused her of running and distributing the MLKP joumal Isęinin Yolu (Worker’s Path), as well as being an organiser of the movement’s activities. Formally charged on 7 March 1997. Trial proceedings began in late 1997. It was still under way on 5 June 2002 when she was freed pending a finał court hearing. On 16 October 2002, Zeybek was sentenced to 12V4 years in prison. By then she had left Turkey for Sweden where she was a recipient of the Tchukolsky Award. A further appeal is being madę. Torturę claims: During a trial hearing on 8 October 1997, Zeybek claimed to have been raped while under interrogation at the Istanbul Security Directorate Political Department. On 24 October 1997 her complaint against 8 policemen was accepted following a report confirming the attack from the Psycho-Social Traumatology Centrę in Istanbul. The officers were brought to trial in November 1998 in Istanbul. In a hearing of the case on 1 December 1999, all those charged alongside Zeybek were reported to be remandcd in custody. On 1 November 2000, it was decided not to proceed with the prosecution of

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