Turkish author gets 15 months jail for defaming Ataturk

By Melike Gallenkus

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Turkish author was sentenced to 15 months in jail in Istanbul on Wednesday for insulting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder and first president of modern Republic of Turkey.

Suleyman Yesilyurt was accused of insulting one of Ataturk's adopted children Afet Inan during a debate in a television program.

The Bakirkoy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had launched a probe into the incident and demanded a prison sentence of between two and seven years on charges of “inciting people to hatred and hostility”, and "defaming Ataturk’s memory".

Yesilyurt was arrested in May and was later released by the court pending trial.

The Bakirkoy 35th Criminal Court of First Instance on Wednesday found Yesilyurt guilty of "defaming Ataturk’s memory".

Separately, on Tuesday, another Turkish court also sentenced Mustafa Armagan, editor-in-chief of Derin Tarih (Deep History) periodical, to 15 months in jail on a similar charge.

Armagan was convicted of including an article in the May issue of the periodical that tarnished the reputation of Ataturk’s wife Latife Hanim.

Ataturk, whose name means father of the Turks, was a hero of World War I who went on to lead Turkey in its War of Independence before founding the modern state in 1923. He is deeply respected in Turkey, where laws protect his name and memory.