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4th Gathering
in Istanbul for Freedom
of Expression
The 4th
Gathering in Istanbul for Freedom of Expression took place between
19-22
November. 23 guests from 14 countries contributed. The activities were
organised in different locations in Istanbul. The gathering was
supported by “The
Association of Freedom of Expression”, International PEN, Human
Rights
Watch, Amnesty International, Freemuse and Article 19. The
5th G. was also supported by various municipalities. The Central
Municipality
of Istanbul played a leading role and local municipalities of
Beyoðlu, Beykoz,
Pendik, Sarýyer and Üsküdar have opened their
resources and facilities to NGOs
and hosted dinners for the guests. Bilgi University, Association of
Lawyers,
Human Rights Association Istanbul Branch, Amnesty International TR
Section and
The Initiative For Freedom of Expression have all organised events and
contributed to the Gathering.
Activities:
Voltaire’s birthday
Voltaire’s
311th. birthday was celebrated at Tevfik Fikret museum on 20
November. Famous poet Tevfik Fikret’s house on the hills of Boshporoush
(called
“Asiyan” which means “birds’ nest”) is a literary museum today. The
guests of
the 4th. Gathering met in the garden of the museum where Tevfik’s tomb
is
placed extending their respect to the memory of all those
writers and phylosophers who paid for
freedom of expression in the past from Nazým Hikmet to Mehmet
Akif. Voltaire’s
birthday was celebrated with a birthday cake with 311 candles. Fikret
and Akif
who did not agree and had a lot of debates at the time were remembered
side by
side on Voltaire’s birthday.
Forum
at Bilgi
University
New
restrictions and threats against freedom of expression introduced in
the name
of fighting terror were discussed at a forum organised
at Bilgi University on 21 November, “The Future
of Freedom of
Expression after 9/11”. Writers Orhan Pamuk and Mehmed Uzun took part
in the
discussion. American intellectual Noam Chomsky sent a video message in
which he
said that Turkey had its share of human rights violations but “People
in Turkey
continiue to fight so Europe has a lot to learn from Turkey".
Prof.
Turgut Tarhanlý chaired the meeting, speakers included Niloufer
Bhagwat,
Jonathan Sugden, O.Uygun, Corrine Kumar, Bill Strachan, Eva
Norstörm, Yusuf
Alataþ, Levent Korkut, Ayþe Erzan, Eugene Schoulgin, Klaus
Slavensky, Vassilis
Vassilikos, Murathan Mungan, Tété-Michel Kpomassie,
Fadhila Chebbi, Alexis
Krikorian, Mete Çubukçu, Ömer Madra, Chenjerai Hove,
Prof. Jeloul Azurra, Agnes
Callamard, Aydýn Engin.
"To Freedom... "
(Special gala for Guest Writers)
P.E.N.
Turkey Center organised an event, supported by Beyoðlu municipality
where the guests of the 4th. Gathering were introduced. The event took
place on
Monday 21 November 2005, at Muammer Karaca Theater. Writer Tété
Michel
Kpomassie from Togo, writer Eugene
Schoulgin (Norway), Mehmed
Uzun (Kurdish writer based in
Sweden), writer Chenjerai Hove (Zimbabwe),
writer prof. Jaloul Azzouna and poet Ms. Fadhila
Chebbi (Tunisia), Iranian
writer Ms. Fatemeh Sejadi and the writer of unforgettable novel
“Z” Vassilis Vassilikos made speeches and video clips were screened.
Extracts from the films “Z”, “Missing” and “The Way” were screened. Muammer
Ketencoðlu and Iranian singer Ms. Mahsa Vahdat performed songs. After a video message
of Harold Pinter, New Generation Theater (Mehmet Ergen)
presented
a part of Pinter’s play “Mountain Language”. PEN Chairman Vecdi
Sayar
did the opening speech and translations, actor Cüneyt
Türel and acctress Tilbe Saran presented
the
event
in two languages.
Ragýp
Zarakolu's
trials and the press statement of the guests
The
guests attended the trials of publisher Zarakolu for publishing two
books on Armenian tragedy by the writers Jerjian and Sakayan. The
trials were
at Sultanahmet 2nd. Criminal Court of First Instance on 22 November.
The public
prosecutor asked the court to penalise Zarakolu for Sakayan’s book
under the
Penal Code article 301.
The guests talking to journalist afterwards said that they observed
that the
restrictions on freedom of expression remained.
Ragýp
Zarakolu said "This is also a fight to broaden the limits of freedom of
expression”. HRW reporter for Turkey Jonathan Sugden said "The court
could
have ruled for acquittal under the article 10 of European Convention of
Human
Rights". The next hearing will be on 15 February 2006.
23 observers from 14 countries made a joint
statement after the case. At the press conference (at Nazým
Hikmet Foundation),
Executive Member of PEN International, writer Eugene Schoulgin and
representative of International Publishers Association Alexis Krikorian
were
present. The joint statement read:
We are sorry that todays court
decisions were not acquittals. In 2004
Turkish Grand National Assembly amending the Constitution, decided that
the
European Convention of Human Rights to be applicable in domestic
legislation.
The article 10 of the Convention does not allow trials such as
Ragýp Zarakolu’s
where he was asked to be imprisoned for 6 years. Therefore it is up to
the
courts to decide acquittal in such cases.
Increasing
nýmber of freedom of expression cases is worrying. We invite all
prosecutors
and the judicial bodies to implement the statements of the Parliament
and the
government that the freedom of expression would be respected.
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Round
table:
“Freedom
of Expression in Turkey. What have we gained so far?”
The
problems of freedom of expression in Turkey was discussed. The
discussion was organised by PEN Turkey Center on 22 November in Muammer
Karaca Theatre. The meeting was chaired by Nadire Mater and speakers
included Metin Celal, Erol Önderoglu, Fethiye Çetin, Nadire
Mater, Fikret Ýlkiz, Ferhat Tunç, Emin Karaca, Ragip
Zarakolu, Enis Batur. The meeting was supported by Beyoglu municipality.
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Common
Denominator
(Ortak Payda) meetings
Last
meetings of "Ortak Payda" in 2005 took place on 19 and 20
November. Contributors from 14 cities and Ortak Payda Working Group
came
together and evaluated the conclusions of last years meetings which
took place
in 15 districts. The final reports will be published as a booklet
"Ortak
Payda 2005" and 550 copies of it will be sent to the Parliament. It
will
be distributed to the press and sold with a symbolic price.
Panel
Discussion of
the Association of Members of Legal Profession (Üsküdar
borough)
The Association of Members
of Legal Profession organised a
panel discussion on
“The legal and social dimensions of Freedom
of Expression” which took place on 19 November in Çamlica
Cultural Center. Law.
Muhammed Emin Özkan chaired the meeting. Lecturer Dr. Hakan Hakeri
(Selçuk
Uni.), assistant lecturer Dr. Bekir Berat Özipek (Hacettepe
Üni.), Nabi Yaðcý
(journalist, writer) were among the speakers. Üsküdar
municipality allocated
the Cultural Center as venue.
Children’s
Festival
(Beykoz borough)
“I
am a kid! I think, I play” a chain of activities took place in Beykoz
Municipality
Cultural Center on 20 November. Bengi Su Dönmez’s (aged 13) film
“Do not step
on it!” was screened, art workshops were organised. Amnesty
International Turkey Center organised the event with support from Beykoz municipality and "Universal Children’s
Rights,
Local authorities " contributed.
Panel
Discussion: “Children are speaking”
(Pendik borough)
Another
activity on 20 November World
Children’s Day was a panel discussion “Children are Speaking” organised
by
Human Rights Association Istanbul branch with the support of Pendik
local
council. Buses were organised to pick children from 7 different
localisities in
Istanbul with participation of other local municipalities. The meeting
was chaired
by children, speakers were children, audience were made up of children.
Children discussed the restrictions preventing them from expressing
themselves
freely at home, at school and in society.
List
of the guests of “The 4th Gathering in Istanbul for Freedom
of
Expression
Agnes
Callamard, GB, ARTICLE 19 (Executive
Director)
Alexis Krikorian, Switzerland, IPA (International Publishers’
Association)
Bill
Strachan, USA, AAP
(Association of American Publishers)
Chenjerai Hove, Zimbabwe, Writer
(Norwegian PEN member)
Corrine Kumar, India, Sociolog
Eugene Schoulgin, Norway, Writer, International PEN (Board Member)
Eva Norstörm, Denmark, Euromed HR Net (Europe
Mediteranean HR Network)
Fadhila Chebbi, Tunisia, Poet
Fatemeh Sajadi, Iran, Writer, Swedish PEN member
Hal
Fessenden, USA, AAP
(Association of
American Publishers)
Prof. Jeloul Azzura, Tunisia, Writer
Jonathan Sugden, GB, Human Rights Watch Turkey
Reporter
Kemal Kirac, Germany, Federation
of Immigrant Associations (Gen.
Secretary)
Kjell
Olaf Jensen, Norway, Norwegian
PEN President
Klaus
Slavensky, Denmark, FREEMUSE (The World Forum on
Music and Censorship)
Mahsa Vahdat, Iran, Singer
Mehmed Uzun, Sweden, Writer,
Swedish PEN member
Niloufer Bhagwat. India, Lawyer
Ole Gunnar Solheim, Norway, Norwegian PEN
Ronald Boss, Holland, Dutch PEN
Terry Carlbom, Sweden, Swedish PEN
Tété-Michel Kpomassie, Togo, Writer,
French PEN member
Vassilis Vassilikos, Greece, Writer, former Permanent
Representative of Greece at UNESCO
MESSAGES: Peter
Benenson, Arthur Miller, Joan Baez,
Prof. Noam Chomsky, Harold Pinter
4th G. LOGO 408x125.JPG
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