June 6, 2005 - 09:35 AMT
TURKISH LAWYER ACKNOWLEDGING ARMENIAN GENOCIDE CAN BE IMPRISONED
Turkish citizen and lawyer Madani Ayhan, Kurd in origin, was called to criminal responsibility for stating that Turks implemented a hostile policy towards the Armenians what resulted in the Armenian Genocide in 1915, 525 Azeri newspaper reports. He is the first to be accused of "propaganda" of the Armenian Genocide that is why the event caused serious resonance in Turkey. The majority of the Turkish population consider Ayhan's opinion to be "treason against Turkey and the whole Turk world." However there are also supporters. To remind, not long ago well-known Turkish writer Ohran Pamuk confirmed the fact of the Armenian Genocide arousing public discontent by that. However he was not called to account. Turkish media report that Ayhan is accused in accord with Article 312 of the Turkish Criminal Code, which calls for imprisonment of individuals, who do deeds conflicting with the interests and principles of the state. The prosecutor claims three years of imprisonment for Ayhan, who also made statements against the integrity of Turkey and supported the idea of formation of Kurdish State. To note, M. Ayhan made a statement on the Armenian Genocide during a formal event last November while the criminal case was initiated this February. In his speech he called himself a citizen of Kurdistan. "I am speaking on behalf of the Kurdish people and going to defend Kurds' right of formation a separate state", he stressed. The representatives of the Turkish Office of Prosecutor General stated that words of the kind are enough for initiating a criminal case. According to Turkish media, besides calling himself a citizen of Kurdistan Ayhan also acknowledges the Armenian Genocide and says that the Armenian people, who struggled for Unification and Prosperity befell carnages in Ottoman Turkey in 1915." "I bow down before the beautiful and oppressed Armenian people and join them in their grief", Ayhan said. Today the Turkish citizen, who has become an enemy for Turkey, will stand trial. He can be sentenced to three years of imprisonment.