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Turkish court sentences Kurdish lawmaker to prison for terrorist propaganda

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] A Turkish court on Thursday sentenced a Kurdish member of the Grand National Assembly, the Turkish parliament, to 18 months in prison on charges of spreading terrorist propaganda. Aysel Tugluk was convicted in connection with a speech she gave in 2006 during which she explained her party's objection to labeling the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) a terrorist organization, saying that the separatist fighters were "heroes to some." Tugluk gave the speech at a rally for the minority Democratic Society Party (DTP), which supports Kurdish independence and has been accused of connections to the PKK. Tugluk said that she plans to appeal the decision, though she said she may face other charges for at least 30 different comments she has made about the Kurdish conflict. Although Turkish lawmakers are protected from prosecution while in office, a recent high court decision held that those provisions do not apply to terrorism charges. In 2007, Tugluk and DTP President Ahmet Turk were convicted of distributing political materials in a language other than Turkish after they circulated a pamphlet in support of imprisoned Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan. In December, Kurdish activist Leyla Zana was sentenced to 10 years in prison for supporting the PKK in public speeches. Turkey's limitations on free speech, particularly under Article 301, have drawn international criticism and contributed to the nation's delayed accession to the European Union. That article's original language making the denigration of "Turkishness" a crime was amended last year, limiting protection to the "Turkish Nation" instead.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on February 06, 2009 (boomark / email).