Two Journalists Investigated Under 301

Two journalists of the "Radikal" newspaper, Perihan Magden and Yildirim Türker, are being investigated under the charge of "degrading the state's armed forces" (Article 301).

Magden: "Creating dislike for military service"

On 29 June, prosecutor Ali Cakir in Bagcilar, Istanbul, who had conducted an investigation of Magden for an article entitled "State, you are painted all over tonight", had dismissed proceedings against the writer.

Magden had criticised the fact that there had been a publishing and broadcasting embargo on the find of a stock of ammunition in a house in Ümraniye, Istanbul. She is also being investigated for "creating dislike for the military service" in the same article.

Türker: Indifference towards racism

Following a complaint by one Recep Akkus, journalist Yildirim Türker is also being investigated under Article 301/2.

In his article published on 8 July 2007 in the Radikal 2 Supplement, entitled "Invisible Attack", Yildirim had written about the indifference of state authorities and the media towards racism in the period leading up to journalist Hrant Dink's murder.

The article ended:

"The whole of society must react when, not 20 or 30, but even one person uses racist, discriminatory, threatening language. We have to look at the closeness of these disordered nationalist militia and the state and the Republican-Kemalist-theorists. Armenians are frightened and uneasy. How do you feel?" (EÖ/AG)