Can you imagine Guido in the dock charged with “insulting Britishness” over his wickedly composed plots, rumours and conspiracy?
I know the pen is mightier than the sword, but it is incredible that the 
fictitious characters in a Turkish novel have landed one of the country’s top writers in court charged with “insulting Turkishness”.
The court has even hard-heartedly refused to postpone the trial of Elif Shafak until after her first child, due any day, is born.
“I think my case is very bizarre because for the first time they are trying fictional characters.”
I guess this shows how desperate the nationalist faction is. The furore centres around her latest controversial novel “The Bastard of Istanbul” because it touches on one of the most disputed episodes of her country’s history — the massacres of Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.
Naturally, nationalistic politics are the cause for this farcical trial.
The case is seen as part of a political effort by extreme nationalists to hamper Turkey’s EU aspiration by demonstrating how un-European it is.
As Turkey has undergone almost unprecedented reform over the past few years, including a curbing of the powers of the military, it has also witnessed rising nationalism.
This high profile case clearly will not help Turkey’s application to join the European Union, the country still has a very long way to improve its human rights. This is being reviewed next month and this trial will fail to impress.
The Turks are divided about joining the EU, just as we are too. Elif said:
“We are seeing a clash between those who wholeheartedly support the EU process, and others who want to turn this society into a xenophobic, isolationist country.�
Elif can take comfort that she is not alone, about 60 Turkish writers are charged under these archaic laws in a bid to silence them. If they are imprisoned, they will become martyrs.
More power to the pen, I say, may it always remain mightier than the sword.
Update: 3.15pm, Newsflash from Turkey to say a judge has thankfully cleared Elif in an Istanbul court. The EU is pleased with verdict, but alarmed at the case being held in the first place.
This seems like reason enough in itself to let them into the EU.
Glass House, I’m not decided on that yet. Turkey will benefit considerably from joining the EU, but it is a Muslim country and I don’t know if they are still too barbaric, with reports of women being stoned still etc. People do change though, we now have former Communist bloc countries as part of our European community, who could have imagined that 20 years ago. I’m still undecided about Turkey though.
I’m undecided too, I have to say. When you read about things like this it is not encouraging. How can you try a fictional character? – It is absurd! I am so glad that Elif has been cleared, though.
The Turks, if they are divided about the EU, shouldn’t be in it.
the EU is bad enough already without adding another set of problems in Turkey.
At leadt she got off though!
It’s good that Elif has been cleared and Law prevailed over politics. If a country’s legal system is sound then petty politicians can not have their say all the time.