Prosecutor Sues Journalist Saymaz and Radikal Daily

The former Prosecutor from Erzincan/İliç, Bayram Bozkurt, filed a compensation claim worth TL 100,000 (€ 50,000) against Vuslat Doğan Sabancı, the Board Chair of the Hürriyet Journalism Printing Company, journalist İsmail Saymaz as the author of the news on subject and Hakan Kılıç, a representative of the corporation.

The case is tried before the Ankara 1^st Criminal Court of First Instance. The compensation claim stems from news items published in the nation-wide Radikal newspaper on 12 February and 2 March 2010. Bozkurt was on duty at the Erzincan İliç Prosecution (north-eastern Anatolia) until 11 February 2010 and then appointed to the Muş Malazgirt Public Prosecution (south-eastern Turkey) from where he resigned later on.

His complaint was submitted to court by Bozkurt's lawyer Mustafa Kocadağ. The articles on subject were entitled "Assassination with a tick, coup of the tea vendors" and "Is the secret witness Efe the 'Prosecutor with a tick'?"

The petition claimed that "the related news articles constitute a clear attack on [Bozkurt's] personal rights". It was said that the allegations could not be considered as "criticism", that the news were "not required by the public interest" and violated a decision of secrecy.

The compensation claim consists of TL 50,000 for each article plus interest starting from the days of publication. The first hearing is scheduled for 31 March. (EÇ/EÖ)