Third complaint filed against Ekşi Sözlük

ANKARA

Justice Everywhere Platform members file a complaint against Ekşi Sözlük. AA photo

A businessman living in Sakarya province, İbrahim Aydın, has filed a complaint against one of Turkey’s most popular online forums, Ekşi Sözlük (“Sour Dictionary” or “Sour Times”), for blasphemy against Prophet Mohammad, marking the third such complaint filed against the forum since July 25.

In his petition submitted to the Sakarya Public Prosecutor’s Office, Aydın said the insulting expressions used against Prophet Mohammad on the forum had nothing to do with the right to criticize and a public case should be opened after identifying the related suspect or suspects, Anadolu Agency reported July 28. The Justice Everywhere Platform filed a similar complaint July 26 about www.eksisozluk.com, submitting their petition to the Konya Public Prosecutor’s Office, also suggesting the presence of insults being used on the forum against Prophet Mohammad. The platform requested a criminal case be opened against the suspects on charges of “inciting people to hatred and enmity or humiliation.”

The Municipality and Private Administration Employees Trade Union (Bem-Bir-Sen) filed a similar complaint against the forum July 25, submitting their petition to the Ankara Public Prosecutor’s Office. Using an argument identical to Aydın’s, the union said insults and blasphemy against the Prophet cannot be considered within the framework of freedom of expression.