Istanbul court limits access to book detailing mass rape of 7-year-old boy

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court has ordered a ban on online sales, promotion and distribution of a book detailing the mass rape of 7-year-old boy, as well as the removal of related posts on social media, according to an Oct. 2 statement by the Turkish Publishers Association.

An Istanbul court has ordered a ban on online sales, promotion and distribution of a book detailing the mass rape of 7-year-old boy, as well as the removal of related posts on social media, according to an Oct. 2 statement by the Turkish Publishers Association. The order came after a complaint filed by the lawyer of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Celalettin Güvenç on Sept. 9, on claims that “Mahrem: Gizli Belgelerde Türkiye’nin Sırları” (Confidential: Turkey’s Secrets Through Secret Documents), co-written by journalists Barış Terkoğlu and Barış Pehlivan, “violates personal freedoms.”The book, first published in April 2015 by Kırmızı Kedi Publications, covers the story of the raping of a boy in Erzurum in eastern Anatolia in 2007 and alleged efforts to cover up the crime, according to the statement.

No publication bans on the book have been issued, but the Istanbul court order banned sales, promotion and distribution of it. The association has protested the court ruling, saying that “banning the promotion and sales of a book effectively means banning a book and prevents readers from accessing the text.”“It is a constitutional right to protect freedom of expression and publishing,” it stated. “Protecting these freedoms is determining element of being a democratic society,” it added.