Evening star., 1946-11-28
Turk Editors 5 Suicide
Focuses Attention on
Strict Press Law
By John A. ThoIe
Foreign Correspondent Of Ihs sior ond
the Chjccoo Dolly News

ISTANBUL, Nov. 28--An Oriental
tragedy is focusing attention on
Turkeys new press law.
Echoes of the pistol shot that took
the life of an obscure Izmir editor
may resound in coming weeks when
Turkeys struggling young govern
ment opposition party is expected to
cite it freely in an attempt to loosen
the tight check-rein which still binds
newspapers and editors here.
Here are the facts in the lZmlr
case:
While BuIand Ustundag was serv-
ing in the Turkish Army. his wife
carried on as editor of their news
paper. Shortly after this years cleo
ton, in which opposition leaders
charged some fraud, an editorial en-
titled Child of Unknown Parents"
appeared In the Ustundag news
paper over her signature. 1t cast
aspersions on the validity Of the
membership of the National Assem-
bly,. The government promptly
pounced on it and brought criminal
charges under the press law.
Editors Wife Faced Court.
In Istanbul circles, 1t Is common
gossip that Mr.. Ustundag himself
was the author. He was the son
of the opposition party chairman in
Izmir. Being in the army, however
he was forbidden to do any such
outside political writing.
AT any rate, despite the fact that
she was about to become mother
his wife faced the court and shoul-
dered responsibility for the article
But. instead of acquittal or sus-
pended sentence, she became the
first to be convicted under the new
press law, and was condemned to
jail.
Her baby was born in the prison
hospital while she was under trial
One night, 20 days later, Mr.. U.s.
tundag said good-by to some friends
he had been visiting, went home
and shot himself to death.
Whether the small but highly
vocal opposition Democratic Party
citing the case of the Ustundags
and other editors who have been
Jailed and fined in past years, will
be able successfully to lead fight
now for a more liberal press law
remains highly doubtful.
New Law Still Restrictive.
Earlier this year the National
Assembly adopted the more liberal
of two proposed drafts of a press
law. Some of the changes it made
in the old law were in the nature
of Improvement as far as editors
were concerned. But the new law
still is a shotgun" statute in its
broad generalizations of what may
be considered criminal offense.
In Turkey it is against the Law
ito attack the honor and prestige
of members of the National AS
sembly, the cabinet, official bodies
or civil servants "by means of de.
famatory writings which do mo-
clearly refer to designated persons
or acts"
Lying is not generally considered
a crime under Turkish law, 81
fabricated or distorted reports" art
not punishable unless they have
been circulated with "subversiv'
motives" aimed at undermining thu
confidence invested in the armed
forces of the state" or disturb the
public's peace of mind"
owners and editors of newspaper.
can be and have been punished fol
provoking the public against tn.
government"
Turkey, guardian of the Oar,
danelles and walking the diplomatic
Itightrope under the Russian gun
may need some form of security
restrictions on publications. Blu
many editors contend that 1t still
has a long way to go in relaxing
purely political censorship.
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