Criticism in a Democracy is Healthy, Not an Insult
A couple of weeks ago, the Republican People’s Party (CHP) complained in parliament that the Turkish military had withdrawn its troops from Iraq the day after the US had urged it to do so, implying that the decision had been made at the behest of the Americans. The army reacted angrily, stating that the decision had been purely tactical. General Yasar Buyukanit made a statement at the time that I found interesting. He said that the army saw criticism as an insult.
Demonstrating this principle and showing the clout Turkey’s military has in Turkish political affairs and the judiciary, a rights campaigner was sentenced to six months in jail for a mild criticism of the military’s role in politics of the kind that has become routine among scholars and even Turkish news columnists. Eren Keskin was convicted under the infamous Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code which prohibits “insulting Turkishness”. Ms. Keskin, a lawyer, had been sentenced once before to 10 months’ imprisonment after giving a speech at a conference in Cologne, Germany, about cases of sexual assault against women inmates by members of state security forces in Turkey.
Why was Ms. Keskin singled out for punishment? Perhaps because she said this in an interview with a foreign newspaper. (Orhan Pamuk too was hauled to court under Article 301 for something he said to the foreign media.) Or perhaps this is another warning shot across the bow to stifle public criticism and the more and more openly critical press. I reproduce the entire short article from the New York Times below. Click here for a more extensive account.
Turkey: Activist Found Guilty of Army Insult
By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE (The New York Times) Published: March 21, 2008
A court sentenced a prominent human rights campaigner to six months and 20 days in prison for insulting the army in a newspaper interview two years ago. Legal action was taken against the campaigner, Eren Keskin, after a complaint by the Turkish general staff after she told the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel that the army had undue influence on politics, the judiciary and state institutions. Ms. Keskin was found guilty under a provision in the penal code that forbids “insulting Turkishness.” In the 15-minute hearing, Ms. Keskin said she stood by her statement but denied any intent to insult the army, adding, “It was meant as political criticism.” She said she would appeal the verdict.
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