3 years jail for a collage of President Bush?

Forums > Community > Politics

~CharlesThomson Jun 15, 2006

Erkan Kara will be charged in Turkey on 12 September with "insulting the dignity of the Prime Minister" for organising a a Peace Show fair in Istanbul, which displayed a collage showing the Turkish PM, Tayyip Erdogan, as a dog being given a rosette by President Bush.

British artist, Michael Dickinson, who made the collage, has submitted a letter to the court, admitting liability for the (unauthorised) display of the collage, and is now waiting to see if he will be prosecuted. The charge carries 1-3 years in jail.

The collage, "Best in Show", and further details are on [link].

You can no longer comment on this thread as it was closed due to no activity for a month.

Devious Comments

~Turinbaar Jun 17, 2006 Traditional Artist

As artists we should be opposed to this censureship. Art is a mode of expression that shouldn't be censured, especially if it has a political message. The Turkish government should allow greater artistic expression, which an essential part of a modern society, if it is ever to be a truely "democratic" state. Otherwise Turkey might as well adopt the hammer and sickle or the swastika.

btw I rather like this thread. It's much more relevant to art than gay marriage or iran.

~voxpopulivoxdie Jun 17, 2006

I'd be surprised if he ever saw the inside of a jail cell.Since he did not draw it himself...1-3 years will be watered down to an amount of money

As to the artist? That's bullshit. Turkish jurisdiction doesn't extend there.

It's just stupid to do it at such a time as to put Turkey's candidacy to the EU in jeopardy.

~orphen Jun 17, 2006

it is illegal in turkey to insult turkey.
that is why they have so much trouble to admit the slaughtering of about 1mio albanians in the early 1900s.
its illegal to say it happend, b/c it would insult the turkish people.

~CharlesThomson Jun 17, 2006

Oh yes they did, for tolerating human rights abuses and chummying up to the Turkish PM.

White House press release, 8 June, 2005 [link]
President Bush: Turkey's democracy is an important example for the people in the broader Middle East, and I want to thank you for your leadership. Mr. Erdogan.
Prime Minister Erdogan: I can summarize the main titles of our discussion as freedom, democracy, rule of law, fight against terrorism, security and human rights.

If he thinks that's democracry! Sheesh!

~L3g3nd Jun 16, 2006

The title of this thread is incredibly misleading. Neither Bush nor the United States of America had anything to do with this incident.

!beta3 Jun 17, 2006

~hellion Jun 16, 2006 Professional Digital Artist

I have to say it is unfortunate more nations do not find that having a law similar to our 1st Amendment is necessary or prudent.
Or that they feel the need to write exceptions into their version of it (as in "freedom of speech" is not in a section of law that superceeds all others).

~voxpopulivoxdie Jun 17, 2006

It bears thinking about though, doesnt it?

Nowadays they wanna make flag-burning illegal in the US. It is most certainly illegal in Turkey. Doesn't that make you wonder where it'll end?

~hellion Jun 17, 2006 Professional Digital Artist

Oh I know when it comes to the government the "slippery slope fallacy" is not a fallacy at all. It happens.

In another thread I asked if the flag burning thing was going to be an amendment or just a law. If it is just a law the supreme court can shoot it down. Doesn't mean they will.
Other thing about the Bill of Rights is any Amendment following is supposed to jive with it. Wonder what the supreme court would say about "expression" being covered under the 1st. Where could that lead? Is pooing on my lawn and stealing all my stuff a political expression and thus protected?

Technically under several federal codes burning the flag is already illegal, but not enforced.

*Hyenaworks Jun 16, 2006 Hobbyist Writer

"Haha... I made you look like a dog! LawL!"

"Think it's funny huh?"

"LAWLZ!"

"Turkish prison for you smartass."

"...ohnoes."

"LAWLZ!"

Details

Statistics

3 years jail for a collage of President Bush?

Devious Comments

The Journal Portal

Polls

What is your preferred drawing software?

deviantART [dee·vee·un'nt·ART]

Keep in Touch!

Deviousness

Add Media

Style