[Newspoetry] Chomsky in Turkey

[gillespie william k]

Noam is going to appear in a Turkish court on behalf of a Turkish
publisher who got in trouble for publishing one of his books.

Note that the book was never published in America. Why hasn't Oprah
chosen one of Chomsky's titles for her book club?

...from PW Newsline:

Chomsky Goes to Istanbul to Help Publisher Stay Out of Turkish Prison

Noam Chomsky, perhaps the American author most associated with radical
left-wing causes, has found himself at the vortex of controversy in
Turkey, where he will soon appear in court to defend his monograph,
American Interventionism.

The book, which has been banned in Turkey, is at the center of a criminal
action against local publisher Aram Publishing House. Chomsky will appear
in the Istanbul courthouse on February 13.

Istanbul State Security Court Prosecuting Attorney Bekir Rayif Aldemir has
charged Aram with "propagating separatism," citing a chapter on Turkey's
alleged human rights violations against its Kurdish population. Chomsky
describes Turkey's treatment of the Kurds as an "ethnic cleansing,"
charging that it resulted in the "deaths of thousands of people, the
emigration of two to three million people, and the destruction of more
than 3,500 villages." Aldemir is seeking a one year prison sentence for
the publisher, Fatih Tas, according to article 8 of the Turkish
Anti-Terror Law, for "propagating against the indivisible unity of the
State of the Turkish Republic with its territory and nation."

Chomsky, whose book wasn't actually published stateside, has been invited
by Aram and a Turkish-based association called the Initiative for Freedom
of Expression for a three-day visit to Turkey. "The immediate purpose of
my visit to Istanbul," he says, "is to express support for the publisher
who is facing trial, and solidarity with the courageous and honorable
journalists, writers, academics, human rights activists and many others
who continue to protest Turkey's draconian laws against freedom of
expression."

When it comes to publishing, Chomsky is known for being as promiscuous as
he is prolific. He has an extensive backlist and also has recent titles
out from South End, Seven Stories and Pantheon. With the Turkey trip, all
his publicists will likely find the axiom that there's no such thing as a
bad free-speech trial true once again.--Lucine Kasbarian