Freedom of speech in Turkey
A secularist’s lament
A blasphemy case raises new worries about freedom of speech in Turkey
Apr 20th 2013 | ANKARA |From the print edition
Fazil Say, a tweeting pianist
“I AM not sure if you have noticed, but where there is a louse, a nonentity, a low life, thief or fool, they are all Islamists. Is this a paradox?” So wrote Fazil Say, a renowned Turkish pianist, in one of a series of irreverent tweets poking fun at Islam. Now Mr Say, who has an international career, has been given a ten-month suspended prison sentence under Article 216 of the penal code for hate speech. Prosecutors argued that Mr Say, a self-avowed atheist, had “denigrated the values of a section of the population” through his comments on Twitter. Should he repeat the offence within five years, he faces jail.
More:Freedom of speech in Turkey: A secularist’s lament | The Economist
