European Court Accused Turkey of Freedom of Speech Violation

The European Court of Human Rights found Turkey guilty of violation and limitation of freedom of speech in the country. February 21 the jury considered the appeals submitted by Turkish citizens Yylmaz Odabashi and Niazi Kocak, who censure the state Kemalist ideology in the articles published in a book titled “Dream and Life”. To note, the Ankara State Security Court in 1998 accused the authors of the articles of “outraging Araturk’s memory”. As result Odabashi was sentenced to 1.5 years of imprisonment. Kocar has to pay fine. As reported by a Turkish new agency, the decision of the European Court notes that having examined the above mentioned articles the Court came to conclusion that they do not maintain approaches offending Ataturk’s personality. The Court obliged Turkey to pay 10 450 Euros as compensation two both citizens.