Turkish prosecutor seeks up to 4.5 years jail term for chief editor over insulting Atatürk

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul chief public prosecutor filed an indictment on May 31 against a history magazine’s chief editor for “insulting the memory of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk,” the founder of modern Turkey, seeking from 1.5 years to 4.5 years of jail time, Doğan News Agency has reported.

The Bakırköy Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul pressed charges against the chief editor of history magazine “Derin Tarih” (Deep History), Mustafa Armağan, over the magazine’s May issue, which had an essay on “Latife Hanım,” Atatürk’s wife between 1923 and 1925. 

The indictment said the article series “What happens if Ms. Latife spoke?” in the magazine’s 62nd issue had statements including “insults” to Atatürk and was believed to be penned by Armağan himself.

“It is understood that the article was written with criminal intent to discredit Atatürk,” the indictment said.        
It added that the piece cited a foreign newspaper published in 1926 and a book, but made no reference to historical documents and used information “akin to gossip.”        

Armağan denied that he had insulted Atatürk’s memory, indicating that he had included quotes from books and newspaper interviews in the article series.

The chief editor is expected to appear before the Bakırköy 2nd Penal Court of First Instance, if the indictment is accepted. 

The case follows separate indictments accusing two other people of insulting Atatürk.   
     
Historian Süleyman Yeşilyurt was remanded in custody on May 12 over claims made during a live TV broadcast. Hasan Akar remains at large since the court issued an arrest warrant for him.