We talked about the censorship story of Kaos GL Magazine, one of the most rooted publications of the Turkish LGBTI+ movement, two issues of which were declared obscene in 2000 and 2006, with the Editor-in-Chief of that period, Umut Güner, and the lawyer of the Kaos GL Association, Hayriye Kara.
In 2020, 13 children’s books were declared obscene. While the allegations of obscenity and LGBTI+ propaganda come to the fore in the decisions of the Board for the Protection of Minors from Sexually Explicit Materials, we sometimes even witness campaigns launched on social media for the inspection of children’s books. As the Speak Up Platform, we asked the experts about the issue that comes up frequently.
As the Speak Up Platform, in the second article in which we deal with the censorship of children’s books in Turkey, we deal with the allegations of “social gender, obscenity, gender identity and LGBTI+ propaganda”, which are constantly shown as an excuse for censorship. Along with expert opinions, we offer solutions for parents who are looking for the right thing for their children, especially among all these claims on social media
An investigation was initiated about the latest novel of writer Orhan Pamuk, “Nights of Plague” with the allegation that it was “insulting Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the Turkish Flag” and it was “inciting people to hatred.” When the file, which was given a nolle, returned from the Criminal Court of Peace, the prosecution re-started the investigation based on the same grounds
Hamide Yiğit, who was on trial for her book titled ‘Tekmili Birden IŞİD’ (‘The Whole ISIS’) with the allegation that the book ‘violates personal rights’ and Tekin Publishing House, which published the book, received a fine of TRY 10 thousand
English author Alice Oseman’s comic book ‘Heartstopper,’ which tells the love and life of two men and was published in Turkish, was declared obscene publication based on a decision by Obscene Publications Board under the Ministry of Family and Social Services Protection of Minors
The trial about the case of the restriction decision against four children’s books treated as obscene publications was held on 8th of March. The ministry previously objected to the ‘not obscene’ reports regarding the books prepared by the independent experts. Alican Acanerler from the Speak Up Platform spoke to the lawyer Ümit Erdem who filed the case ongoing since 2019
Mersin 3rd Criminal Court of Peace ruled the pulling of the book titled ‘Şehitler Hainler ve Yurtseverler: Körfez Savaşından Günümüze Kürdistan’ (Martyrs, Traitors and Patriots: Kurdistan from the Gulf War to the Present) published by Avesta Yayınları in 2007 off the shelves. The publisher stated they have notified the pulling of the book written by Sheri Laizer off the shelves four years later
Selim Çürükkaya’s book named “Dr. Said: We Lost the Lock of the Mountains” was banned by the decision of the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The book is about the life of the peshmerga commander.
The Board of Protection of Minors from Obscene Publications declares the book titled ‘Storybook Series 3: I am reading too – Magical Rainbow’, which was published as a children’s book, an obscene publication. The book can only be sold to individuals above 18 years of age, in an opaque bag.