Publisher Acquitted, Concerns Remain

Chomsky, who attended the trial in Istanbul and requested that he be tried alongside Tas, expressed his delight at the news adding, "I hope it will be a step towards establishing the freedom of speech in Turkey that we all want to see. I am here to express support for the writers, journalists and human rights activists who are willing to take serious risks."

Bekdil's case

Another writer on trial was not so lucky when the court presiding

over his case adjourned for a further two months. Burak Bekdil, a journalist for the English language "Turkish Daily News", has been charged with "insulting the judiciary" for a satirical piece published in August 2001 lambasting the Turkish judicial system. On 14 February his case was once again adjourned, this time to 11 April.

Uzun: "To Create a Language"

Furthermore, author Mehmed Uzun, currently on trial for his book "To create a Language", seen to promote separatism, has been informed that another trial has been opened against him, to start on 8 March, also under the Turkish Anti-Terror Law. This relates to a lecture given by Uzun over two years ago, in January 2000, in Diyabakir, southeastern Turkey.

While International PEN is delighted by the news of Tas' release, it remains concerned by the multiplicity of legislation that is used to penalise free speech. International PEN has on its records over seventy people facing judicial proceedings solely for their writings.

Although not yet in prison, and for the vast majority the likely outcome is a non-custodial sentence, such as a suspended prison term or fines, the effect of such wide scale judicial action on the right to free expression in Turkey is extremely worrying. (NM)