Intellectuals Defy Turkish Penal Code

A group of Turkish intellectuals who organized a civil disobedience act on March 28 demanding the withdrawal of Penal Code articles restricting the freedom of thought, have appeared before an Istanbul prosecutor on Friday where they owned up to their actions and said they “knowingly and willingly” carried it out.

The civil disobedience group, totaling 20 intellectuals, had undersigned a 31-point text which violated anti-democratic articles of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) before filing a complaint against themselves for their action.

Seven of 20 involved in the violations appeared in front of Prosecutor Nurten Altinok at the Sultanahmet Justice Hall where their identical statements consisted of the sentence “the signature belongs to me, I participated in this knowingly and willingly. I have nothing else to say”.

Initiative Against Thought Crime spokesman Sanar Yurdatapan said in a statement he made at the Justice Hall that they were fighting the obstacles in front of the freedom of opinion and expression and criticized the new Anti-Terror Law that is being debated at Parliament.

Author Sema Kaygusuz, journalists Perihan Magden, Abdurrahman Dilipak, Pınar Selek, musician Sanar Yurdatapan, Mazlumder Chairman Cevat Ozkaya were among those who testified Friday.

Attorney Gulden Sonmez, Oya Baydar, Ece Temelkuran and Mahir Günsıray who could not go to testify will do so on May 15.

The civil disobedience act targets the abolishment of the crimes "Insult of principle national interests” article 305, "Degrading Turkishness, the Republic, institutions and organs of the state” article 301, "Inciting hatred and enmity among the people and insult” article 216 and "Attempting to influence a fair trial" article 288. (EO/KO/II/YE)