Ocak Işık Yurtçu

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Ocak Işık Yurtçu (* 1945 in Pozantı / Adana Province ; † September 8, 2012 in Istanbul ) was a Turkish journalist who was involved in opposition newspapers. As editor-in-chief of a pro-Kurdish newspaper, he was imprisoned for a long time until he was released after an international campaign based on a special law.

career

Ocak Işık Yurtçu's father, Çoban Yurtçu, was also a journalist. He founded the Çukurova journalists' association . Işık Yurtçu attended Vefa High School and studied law at the University of Ankara . His career began in 1966 with the Ekspres newspaper . In 1971 he wrote a series for the newspaper Yeni Halkçı documenting the systematic torture of political prisoners after the 1971 military coup . Until 1980 he also worked for the newspapers Yenigün , Ulus , Politika , Dünya , Demokrat , Güneş and Cumhuriyet . He headed the Kent haberleri (news from the city) department. At the Güneş newspaper, he became editor-in-chief for the night shift.

Ocak Işık Yurtçu was involved in founding the left-wing daily Democrat, which was established in 1979, and was its editor-in-chief in the 1980 military coup when the newspaper was banned. Because of his signature on the petition of the intellectuals ( Aydınlar Dilekçesi ) initiated by Aziz Nesin , he came to court. Ocak Işık Yurtçu was also involved in the attempts between 1984 and 1988 to re-publish the daily Demokrat, but they failed. In 1991 initiatives for an alternative newspaper began. Under the direction of Ragıp Duran was özgür gündem (Free agenda) established, which had a circulation up to 60,000.

Imprisonment and Honors

In 1992 Ocak Işık Yurtçu took over the position of editor-in-chief at Özgür Gündem. He held it for 8 months. For articles published during this period, he was charged 26 times under Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Anti-Terror Law (ATG) and Articles 159 and 312 of the Turkish Penal Code and received prison terms of around 16 years and fines 1.6 billion TL (today 1,600 TL, about 700 euros). After an amendment to Article 8 of the ATG, the prison sentences were reduced to 10.5 years. On December 28, 1994, he was arrested in Istanbul . He was detained in Bayrampasa and Sakarya prisons . National campaigns resulted in a transfer to Saray prison . Işık Yurtçu has become a symbol of press freedom in Turkey. In 1996, the New York- based Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) awarded him the Freedom of the Press Prize. Işık Yurtçu was unable to attend the award ceremony in New York on November 26, 1996. Terry Anderson read his message. The Reporters Without Borders appointed Ocak Isik Yurtçu for Journalist of the Year 1996th

The "Işık Yurtçu Law"

CPJ organized a mission to Turkey which included celebrities such as Peter Arnett , Terry Anderson and Robert Menard. Their discussions with state representatives and the reports in public led to the fact that a special law was finally passed through which Işık Yurtçu and around 10 editors-in-chief were released. Several other criminal proceedings were dropped. The law suspended sentences and proceedings against editors-in-chief for offenses committed up to July 12, 1997, for a period of three years. Ocak Işık Yurtçu was released on August 15, 1997 after 2 years, 7 months and 18 days in prison.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c See an article in Bianet from September 10, 2012 Gazeteci Yurtçu "Sembol" dü ; Accessed October 25, 2012
  2. ↑ a b c The information is from biyografi.net ; Accessed October 25, 2012
  3. ↑ Article from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on the winners of the 1996 1996 Awards - Yurtcu ; Accessed October 25, 2012
  4. ↑ a b See a comment by Ragıp Zarakolu in Özgür Gündem from September 19, 2012 Işığı da yolcu ettik Pantheona ( Memento of the original from April 6, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Accessed October 24, 2012 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.ozgur-gundem.com
  5. ↑ a b See the 1997 annual report of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey ISBN 975 7217 22 0 , p. 368
  6. ↑ See the article in Reporters Without Borders , November 1995 newsletter Ocak Isik Yurtçu ( Memento of June 4, 2012 in the Internet Archive ); Accessed October 25, 2012
  7. ↑ a b c See a comment by Yalçın Bayer in Hürriyet of September 11, 2012 Işıkın gözü arkada kaldı ; Accessed October 25, 2012
  8. ↑ See a corresponding communication from CPJ Campaign for the Release of Ocak Isik Yurtçu ; Accessed October 25, 2012
  9. ↑ See a message in the Hürriyet Daily News from December 27, 1996 Isik Yurtcu Receives Journalist of the Year Award in Sakarya Prison ( Memento of the original from May 2, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; Accessed October 25, 2012 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.hurriyetdailynews.com
  10. ↑ Law number 4304 was passed on August 14, 1997. It is entitled Law on the Suspension of Proceedings and Penalties for Offenses committed in the capacity of a responsible director up to July 12, 1997. The complete text can be found on the website of the Ministry of Justice ( Memento of the original from April 21, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. read in Turkish. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.mevzuat.adalet.gov.tr
  11. ↑ See the 1997 annual report of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey ISBN 975 7217 22 0 , p. 368/369
  12. ↑ See an article in Birgün from September 16, 2012 Işık Yurtçu İçin ; Accessed October 25, 2012
  13. ↑ See an article in Hürriyet from August 14, 1997 Işık Yurtçu yasası çıktı ; Accessed October 25, 2012
personal data
SURNAME Yurtçu, Ocak Işık
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Turkish journalist
DATE OF BIRTH 1945
PLACE OF BIRTH Pozantı
DATE OF DEATH September 8, 2012
Place of death Istanbul