Poet imprisoned

(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC is deeply disturbed by the imprisonment of Yilmaz Odabasi. Odabasi, a prize-winning poet, writer and journalist, was sent to Bursa Prison on 12 March 1999 to serve an eighteen-month term, (which, with remission, will come to eight months). He was convicted of “insulting Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish […]

(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC is deeply disturbed by the imprisonment of Yilmaz
Odabasi. Odabasi, a prize-winning poet, writer and journalist, was sent to
Bursa Prison on 12 March 1999 to serve an eighteen-month term, (which, with
remission, will come to eight months). He was convicted of “insulting
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic” in his volume of
poetry “Dream and Life”.

Odabasi, a 38-year-old Kurdish writer, originally from the Diyarbakir
Province in Turkey’s south east, is currently in Bursa prison, where, unless
amnestied, he will remain until November 1999.

Odabasi was first imprisoned in 1980, just after the military coup of 12
September, by which time he had already published poems in literary
journals. He was released after a few weeks and was allegedly tortured while
in detention. In 1985 he opened a book shop in Diyarbakir and worked as a
regional representative for UBA, the National Press Agency. In 1987 he was
named “poet of the year” by the review “Temnuz”; that same year he was
sentenced to eight years in prison for membership in the Socialist Party.
The sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court, however, and he did not go
to jail.

He continued to publish volumes of poetry, including “Poems Without Land”,
“Times of Plunder”, and “Melody from the Same Sky”. In 1989 he was awarded
the Cahit Sitki Taranci prize. Some of his poems have been put to music by
prominent bands. His first short story collection, “Love of Ashes”, was
published in 1991. In 1992, he worked as a correspondent for the
English-language “Turkish Daily News” in Diyarbakir.

In 1993 he moved to Ankara where he continued his literary and journalistic
activities; the following year he served several months in prison for a
title published in Germany. His seventh collection of poems “Ticket to
Hell” was published in 1995 and the book which earned him his current
sentence, “Dreams and Life” – which contains a collection of articles on
poetry and culture – was published in 1996.

He was sentenced to eighteen months twice over because of this collection.
The first sentence – for “disseminating separatist propaganda” – was
eventually overturned by the Appeals Court. The second sentence – for
“insulting the memory” of Ataturk under Law 5818 – was upheld and his
lawyer’s appeal for a delay in its implementation was rejected.
Accordingly, Odabasi entered Bursa Prison on 12 March.

Recommended Action

His Excellency

President Suleyman Demirel

Office of the President

Cumhurbaskanligi

06100 Ankara, Turkey

Fax: +90 312 468 5026

E-mail: cankaya@tccb.gov.tr

Copies of your appeals should go to the Turkish embassy in your country. In

Canada, send appeals to:
His Excellency Ömer Ersun

Ambassador

197 Wurtemburg Street

Ottawa, Ontario

K1N 8L9 Canada

Fax: +1 613 789 3442