Armağan, Süleyman Sentenced to Prison for ‘Insulting Atatürk’s Memory’

Click to read the article in Turkish

Süleyman Yeşilyurt, a guest of the TV Show "Derin Tarih" (Deep History) broadcasted on TVNet and Editor-in-Chief of Derin Tarih Magazine Mustafa Armağan have been sentenced to 15 months in prison each, for "insulting the memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk", the founder and the first President of the Republic of Turkey.

Debate on Afet İnan: "Not adoptive daughter but informal wife"

In the TV show, the topic of discussion was Atatürk's wife Ms. Latife, which was also the main topic of the magazine's issue.

In the show the question, "Is Ms. Latife the second First Lady of Çankaya [Presidential Mansion]?" was discussed and also sexist expressions were used with regards to Afet İnan, one of Atatürk's adopted children.

Guest Yeşilyurt argued that Afet İnan could not have been "an adopted daughter", considering her family history and her father's occupation and claimed that she was the "informal first lady of Çankaya Mansion".

An investigation was launched into the incident on charges of "inciting people to hatred and hostility" and "insulting Atatürk's memory."

15 months in prison on charge of "insulting Atatürk's memory"

The guest of the programme, Yeşilyurt was arrested in May and was later released by the court pending trial on the first hearing of his trial on June 1, 2017.

The Bakırköy 35th Criminal Court of First Instance found Yeşilyurt guilty of "insulting Atatürk's memory" and sentenced him to 15 months in prison. Yeşilyurt was acquitted of the charge of "inciting people to hatred and hostility". His prison sentence was deferred by the court.

Editor-in-Chief of Derin Tarih Magazine which has published a letter of Ms Latife, also stood trial in a separate case before Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

He was sentenced to 15 months in prison on the charge of "insulting Atatürk's memory" as well. The court did not defer his prison sentence. (EA/DG)