Another High Political Office-Holder In Turkey Sues Because Of A Cartoon

According to a wire report that came out I think yesterday, Prosector Ali Cakir has filed suit against cartoonist Halil Ibrahim Ozdabak from the newspaper Yeni Asya for a caricature published last year of a judge involved in a potentially politically-influenced prosecution of the country's president. The amount sought converts to a little over $13,000.

Although the article buries this a bit down the piece, it looks like the cartoonist will also face potential jail time under prosecution of applicable Turkish Criminal Code involving "insulting personal rights."

Turkey has a distressing history of allowing political official to file suit or have suits filed on their behalf against cartoonists operating within what most US observers accustomed to their own papers would likely think more-than-fair parameters in terms of subject matter and the strategy used to depict the officials in caricatured form. As the article mentions, this particular prosecutor has a history of doing this kind of thing all his own.

The criminal case will begin February 22; the press for compensation will be heard March 23.
 
posted 7:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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