Atatürk Criticism Results in Prosecution

Gazi University staff Prof. Atilla Yayla will be tried for insulting Atatürk, founder of the Turkish Republic for his words during a speech on November 18, 2006 at a meeting organized by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) youth organization in İzmir.

He criticized the pervasive presence of Atatürk symbols in the country as well as the ideology named after him as Kemalizm.

Referring to the country's accession process to the European Union, "They're going to ask us why do we have images of this man everywhere. There would be strong reaction to my words but we can't avoid discussing this problem forever. Kemalizm is a reactionary ideology more than being progressive", he said.

Following that speech, he received harsh criticism especially from retired army officials and was banished from the university.

As he returned to his duties a resolution of censure was given him by the university administration. Also, İzmir public prosecutor's office filed a complaint against Prof. Yayla.

In Turkey, there's a specific law to protect Atatürk's legacy, which dates back to 1951.

Up to date, 11 people have been tried with this law and two of them received imprisonment sentences. Mainly Islamist writers and journalists are subjected to the law.(EÖ/EÜ)