[1450] in peace2
Chomsky publisher cleared in Turkey
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Martin Voelker)
Wed Feb 13 10:58:17 2002
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Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2002 10:57:06 -0500
To: peace-list@mit.edu
From: Martin Voelker <nouturn@mediaone.net>
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Solidarity can work wonders!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1817000/1817598.stm
Chomsky publisher cleared in Turkey
Wednesday, 13 February, 2002, 13:03 GMT
Publisher Fatih Tas was set free immediately
A Turkish publisher who printed political essays by US academic Noam
Chomsky has been acquitted by a court of producing propaganda against
the unity of the Turkish state.
IF CHOMSKY HADN'T BEEN HERE WE WOULDN'T HAVE EXPECTED SUCH A VERDICT
Fatih Tas The author himself had travelled to Istanbul to lend his
support to Fatih Tas, who would have faced a prison sentence if found
guilty.
Mr Chomsky said he hoped the ruling would help "establish" freedom of
speech in Turkey.
The book, "American Interventionism", contains critical references to
Turkey's 15-year struggle with its Kurdish minority, accusing
Washington of supporting human rights abuses committed by the Turkish
Government.
'KURD CLEANSING'
Mr Chomsky, who is professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, is famous for his attacks on US foreign
policy.
I HOPE THAT IT WILL SERVE AS A STEP TOWARDS ESTABLISHING THE FREEDOM
OF SPEECH IN TURKEY THAT I'M SURE ALL OF US WANT TO SEE REALISED
Noam Chomsky In the essay entitled Prospects for Peace in the Middle
East, Professor Chomsky criticises the United States for supplying
weapons to the Turkish Government, which he says used them to
perpetrate "intensive ethnic cleansing" against the Kurds.
Mr Tas, who was being tried under Turkey's anti-terrorism laws, said
that Mr Chomsky's presence had influenced the court's decision.
"If Chomsky hadn't been here... we wouldn't have expected such a
verdict," he said.
The prosecuting lawyer accepted the defence lawyers' demand for an
acquittal, saying he "understood that the book did not seek to divide
the Turkish nation".
Mr Chomsky said the prosecutor had made "clearly the right decision".
"I hope that it will serve as a step towards establishing the freedom
of speech in Turkey that I'm sure all of us want to see realised," he
said.
Correspondents say a conviction would have been likely to have drawn
international condemnation at a time when Turkey is trying to push
itself closer to European Union membership.
In 1999, the outlawed Kurdish PKK ended a 15-year armed struggle for
self-rule after the capture and trial of rebel leader Abdullah
Ocalan. The conflicts claimed some 36,500 lives.
--
Fascism should rightly be called corporatism,
as it is a merger of state and corporate power.
- Benito Mussolini
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Turkey</title></head><body>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000">Solidarity can
work wonders!</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000"><br></font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1817000/1817598<span
></span>.stm</font></div>
<div><font face="Verdana" size="-5" color="#000000"><b>Chomsky
publisher cleared in Turkey</b></font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-2" color="#000000">Wednesday,
13 February, 2002, 13:03 GMT</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-3" color="#333333">Publisher Fatih
Tas was set free immediately</font><font face="Verdana" size="-1"
color="#000000"><br>
<br>
A Turkish publisher who printed political essays by US academic Noam
Chomsky has been acquitted by a court of producing propaganda against
the unity of the Turkish state.<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-2" color="#990000"><b>IF CHOMSKY
HADN'T BEEN HERE WE WOULDN'T HAVE EXPECTED SUCH A VERDICT<br>
</b></font><font face="Verdana" size="-2" color="#333300"><b><br>
Fatih Tas</b></font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000">
The author himself had travelled to Istanbul to lend his support to
Fatih Tas, who would have faced a prison sentence if found guilty.<br>
<br>
Mr Chomsky said he hoped the ruling would help "establish"
freedom of speech in Turkey.<br>
<br>
The book, "American Interventionism", contains critical
references to Turkey's 15-year struggle with its Kurdish minority,
accusing Washington of supporting human rights abuses committed by the
Turkish Government.<br>
<br>
<b>'KURD CLEANSING'</b><br>
<br>
Mr Chomsky, who is professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, is famous for his attacks on US foreign
policy.<br>
<br>
</font><font face="Verdana" size="-2" color="#990000"><b>I HOPE THAT
IT WILL SERVE AS A STEP TOWARDS ESTABLISHING THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH IN
TURKEY THAT I'M SURE ALL OF US WANT TO SEE REALISED<br>
</b></font><font face="Verdana" size="-2" color="#333300"><b><br>
Noam Chomsky</b></font><font face="Verdana" size="-1" color="#000000">
In the essay entitled Prospects for Peace in the Middle East,
Professor Chomsky criticises the United States for supplying weapons
to the Turkish Government, which he says used them to perpetrate
"intensive ethnic cleansing" against the Kurds.<br>
<br>
Mr Tas, who was being tried under Turkey's anti-terrorism laws, said
that Mr Chomsky's presence had influenced the court's decision.<br>
<br>
"If Chomsky hadn't been here... we wouldn't have expected such a
verdict," he said.<br>
<br>
The prosecuting lawyer accepted the defence lawyers' demand for an
acquittal, saying he "understood that the book did not seek to
divide the Turkish nation".<br>
<br>
Mr Chomsky said the prosecutor had made "clearly the right
decision".<br>
<br>
"I hope that it will serve as a step towards establishing the
freedom of speech in Turkey that I'm sure all of us want to see
realised," he said.<br>
<br>
Correspondents say a conviction would have been likely to have drawn
international condemnation at a time when Turkey is trying to push
itself closer to European Union membership.<br>
<br>
In 1999, the outlawed Kurdish PKK ended a 15-year armed struggle for
self-rule after the capture and trial of rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.
The conflicts claimed some 36,500 lives.</font></div>
<div>-- <br>
<br>
Fascism should rightly be called corporatism, <br>
as it is a merger of state and corporate power.<br>
- Benito Mussolini</div>
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