Aktuel Acquitted on Latife Hanim Case

The complaint was made against Yeni Aktuel reporter Ecevit Kilic who in the 15-21 June 2006 issue of the magazine wrote an article titled "Cankaya's 83 Year Old Secret" for which he was charged and faced a possible 4.5 years imprisonment.

The article relayed an interview with journalist and writer Ipek Calislar whose book "Latife Hanim" on the life of Kemal Ataturk's partner Latife became a national best-seller and was widely praised by the international media.

Concluding its investigation into the article and Kilic, the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office said at the end of last week that an opinion had been formed that the reporter had no deliberate intention to insult Ataturk and he had used his constitutional right to report and inform the public under the freedom of press.

In her decision to dismiss proceedings, prosecutor Nurten Altinok said "to love Ataturk, to believe in his views and to prevent debate on history are different things". The decision accepted that historical figures always attracted attention to their private lives, to anecdotes, their lovers, their weaknesses and their good sides.

In reference to the "offending anecdote" that describes Ataturk dressing as a woman to evade an assassination attempt and escape, the prosecutor said "to say that Ataturk wore a body garment and left Cankaya, taking a risk and distancing himself from the threat through a creative solution, does not belittle him. We can see a magnificent person who once again makes himself admirable and who makes others smile".

While the decision ends an investigation into one published version of the anecdote, a case continues against Calislar and mass circulation daily Hurriyet Editor Necdet Tatlican for a separate interview published in that newspaper.

Both Calislar and Tatlican are being tried under the 1951 "Law to Protect Ataturk". Their first hearing was on October 5 and the case has been adjourned to December 19.

The story

Calislar's book on Ataturk's partner Latife got published in the summer and became very popular.

At one point in the book, Calislar quotes a historically known story:

When Topal Osman surrounds Mustafa Kemal's house in Cankaya to murder him, Latife Hanim takes his place to trick Osman while Ataturk flees the house.

Latife wears his hat and stands in front of the window, mimicking his silhouette and Mustafa Kemal dresses in a black scarf and in garb, leaves the house while pretending to be a woman. Later, in interviews with the press, the same anecdote was mentioned and published which led primarily to individual complaints that sparked off investigations. (EO/II/EU)