Garo Paylan files lawsuit against Turkish reporter for hate speech

Armenpress 16:06, 23 September, 2017

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Ethnic Armenian Member of Parliament of Turkey Garo Paylan filed a lawsuit against Yeni Safak newspaper’s reporter Hayretin Karaman.

The lawsuit was caused by Karaman’s article titled with the Turkish saying “Gavurdan Dost, Domuzdan Post olmaz”, which is roughly translated as “You can’t make pelt from swine and friends with a gavur”. Gavur is a derogatory term which means faithless/non-Muslim in Turkish.

Paylan’s attorney said the lawsuit emphasized that the term “gavur” is used in the article for targeting non-Muslim citizens.

In addition, the lawsuit also mentions that during the country’s republican history, the Property Tax was used against national minorities who were the target of hate speech, the September 6-7 massacres, Hrant Dink’s murder, the attack on the Zirve bookstore in Malatya, and the murder of father Santoro in Trabzon. The lawsuit mentions that all of the above mentioned are a consequence of hate speech.

The lawsuit pressed charges against Hayretin Karaman for “Inciting hatred and hostility or humiliation”.

 



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