Author Yavuz Ekinci has announced that a new lawsuit has been filed against him due to his novel “T Dreams Divided,” which was published in 2014. PEN International, an international writers’ organization, has stated that these cases are part of the “increasing pressure” on books in Turkey and has called on the authorities to respect freedom of expression.
PEN International has called on Turkish authorities to drop “bogus” charges against the writer Yavuz Ekinci.
Ekinci’s work focuses on the struggles of Kurdish people in Turkey. He has been accused of creating terrorist propaganda in connection to his book “Rüyası Bölünenler” (Dream Divided). The charge falls under Article 7 of Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law No. 3713, which is often used to suppress independent voices, according to PEN International. If convicted, he could face up to seven-and-a-half years in prison.
Pen International has shared a written statement on Ekinci’s situation as follows:
Yavuz Ekinci has been charged with ‘making terrorist propaganda’ in relation to his book Rüyası Bölünenler (Dream Divided), a charge that carries up to seven-and-a-half years in prison under Article 7 of Türkiye’s Anti-Terror Law No. 3713 – routinely used to silence independent voices. Already on 14 March 2023, a court in Istanbul ruled that Dream Divided included content amounting to ‘terrorist propaganda’ and banned its publication, distribution, and sale. Copies of the book were also confiscated. The case is currently pending before Türkiye’s Constitutional Court. This is not the first time the authorities of Türkiye have targeted Ekinci for his writings. In March 2022, Ekinci was found guilty of ‘making terrorist propaganda’ and handed a suspended sentence of one year, six months and 22 days in prison, for eight tweets published on his Twitter account in 2013 and 2014. The tweets, none of which promoted or incited violence, for the most part related to the Newroz (New Year) celebrations in Diyarbakır, south-eastern Türkiye, and to the 2014 battle of Kobane in Syria. The case is now before Türkiye’s Court of Cassation. PEN International calls on the authorities to overturn his conviction.
Pen International also said: ”As documented by PEN International, the latest case against Ekinci comes in the wake of a mounting crackdown in Türkiye on reading materials, the publishing landscape, and social media platforms, including those promoting creative content. Books arbitrarily deemed ‘detrimental’ to readers attract the ire of government officials and pro-government media alike, who vilify authors. Already in 2018, a smear campaign was launched online against Ekinci following the publication of his book Peygamberin Endişesi (The Prophet’s Concern).”
PEN International urged the authorities of Türkiye to stop censoring and persecuting writers for the legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of expression – starting with Ekinci.
