The Turkish government continues to deny the extent of the human rights violations and genocide committed against Kurds and Armenians in Turkey during the twentieth century. The renowned Turkish novelist Orhan Pamuk referred to this in a media interview in Switzerland in February 2005. His comments attracted the attention of a Turkish prosecutor, who brought an indictment against Pamuk for ‘publicly insulting Turkish national identity’ under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code. The prosecution became a flashpoint of concern over Turkey’s protection of freedom of expression, and a litmus test for its suitability for accession to the EU.


KHRP and the BHRC sent a mission to observe his trial and to interview others facing similar charges. Charges against Pamuk were subsequently dropped, but the question remains: why was the prosecution originally brought? And what will happen/ has happened to other lesser-known writers, editors, publishers and journalists facing similar prosecutions in Turkey?

ISBN 1900175967


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