Musa Kart's defence: I have one organisation - AMCC

Our cartoonist Musa Kart, who has been detained for 267 days as part of the investigation launched to silence our newspaper by prosecutor Murat İnam, a defendant charged with membership of the Fethullah Gülen terrorist Organisation, has made his defence.

Yayınlanma: 26.07.2017 - 12:37
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Kart said in his defence, ‘Hoping to stay for three days in a room with a sea view in Bodrum, I spent nine months in a cell with a concrete view in Silivri. What I have been through cannot simply be put down to a misbooking.’

Our cartoonist Musa Kart, who has been detained as part of the investigation aimed at silencing our newspaper, used barcovision during his defence at the hearing to show the bench those of his cartoons he had drawn since 1980 that were opposed to all organisations that emphasise violence. Kart, in his defence, noting that he had been a cartoonist for 35 years, said, ‘I face a custodial sentence of close to 29 years. We also know that the prosecutor who raised these charges is being prosecuted for “being a member of the Fethullah Gülen terrorist Organisation (FETO) and attempting a coup.” My reply will be very clear and brief. I return this charge as it stands.’ Here is the full text of Musa Kart’s defence:

‘I am a cartoonist. I have been drawing cartoons for 35 years. A cartoonist conveys his or her feelings and thoughts directly in sharp and effective language, rather than through lengthy, circuitous discussion.

I am here today to answer unjust, unfounded and unacceptable charges that extend well beyond the bounds of fairness.

I face a custodial sentence of close to 29 years. We also know that the prosecutor who raised these charges is being prosecuted for “being a member of the Fethullah Gülen terrorist Organisation (FETO) and attempting a coup.”

Yes, I stand charged with, “While not being a member of an organisation and not committing crimes on behalf of an organisation, serving an organisation’s interests with his actions.”

My reply will be very clear and brief.

I return this charge as it stands.

Unfortunately, on 15 July 2016 our country was the stage for a coup attempt that led to the death of 249 of our citizens and the injury of thousands of them. The mistakes and weaknesses that were subsequently displayed in combatting those who attempted the coup are of a nature that vindicate my reaction.

I am not a strategist. But, my mind and common sense say the following:

The goal must initially be to isolate those who attempt a coup, something that cannot possibly be accepted in democracies. However, the prosecution is levelling charges against Cumhuriyet Newspaper, which over its long history has fought against terrorist organisations of all kinds at the cost of the lives of many of its valued children such as Uğur Mumcu, Ahmet Taner Kışlalı, Muammer Aksoy and Bahriye Üçok, and a grave error has ensued. The subsequent detentions that have stretched to nine months and have turned into summary punishments rate as a turning point and a severe blow has been dealt to the credibility of the fight against FETO. I have a question for the prosecution. I heard the sound of hands being rubbed in Pennsylvania from my cell in Silivri. Did you not hear it perchance?

Years ago, I drew cartoons pointing to Fettullah Gülen’s formation within the state. How unfortunate, and how comical, too, it is that I am now on trial thanks to the testimony of people who in those years were at Gülen’s right-hand side.

Yes, I have had the honour of drawing at Cumhuriyet Newspaper for 23 years. Had a little unprejudiced research been conducted, it would have been seen that my signature appears beneath the harshest cartoons railing against all terrorist organisations, not least FETO, in every period. And these anti-terrorist cartoons that have been published on the front page for the past six years must rank as further evidence that my paper is not to be displayed alongside terrorist organisations.

The cartoon is essentially the art of a period in which independent minds and inquisitive free thought begins to express itself.

It is contrary to their inner nature for cartoons and the people who create them to come side by side with structures that take their shape from the culture of subservience and strict, crude hierarchic relations and give emphasis to violence. A true and effective cartoon manages to move beyond stereotypes and clichés and is created from a bold and free standpoint. However, organisational structures based on strict hierarchical relations do not create a foundation that is conducive to the quest for freedom that a cartoonist needs. While organisations based on violence rest on taboos, by contrast, humour and cartoons serve to break taboos in the full sense of the word. Hence, opponents of democracy do not care for humourists, nor humourists for violence-worshipping formations.

Given this fact, to charge a cartoonist with aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation and to impose harsh custodial sentences on them is not just malice against the cartoonist, but also against this country.

However, a cartoon means critical thinking. After all, according to research conducted by the OECD into critical thinking and problem solving, the percentage of young people in our country who are capable of thinking critically and objecting is only 2.2. However, the OECD’s average is 11 per cent, while the figure for South Korea is 28 per cent.

We could have made use of the cartoon to develop critical thinking, especially in schools. But, we have opted for a judicial process that will fully destroy it.

I would also like to say something about our expert who has created the basis for our charges with his deliberations.

He is not a specialist penal jurist in press crimes, nor is he a specialist in semantics. He is not a specialist in communications. So, what is he? He is a computer expert. He has just worked at bodies that are close to the government.

As you know, adolescents try to influence their peers by using words they have just discovered, whether well placed or not. As to our expert, the magic word he has discovered is manipulation. Virtually all of the sentences contained in the report smack of, ‘I noticed some manipulation.’ The expert’s pronouncements conjure up the reasoning of the wolf that wants to eat the lamb further downstream:

“You are manipulating my water!”

One of the terms he used while expounding on manipulation was, “Veiling the truth.”

Basically, this is precisely what the report that has led to journalists being held behind thick walls in an unjust and unfounded manner for nine months in Silivri does: Veil the truth, that is manipulation!

It was apparent from the very first day that this indictment was loaded with material that would inspire a humourist. Journalists close to the ruling party, and not just those in opposition, have also drawn attention to these risible charges

By now everyone knows that the prosecutor who drafted this indictment is a FETO suspect for whom a double life sentence is sought and who is being prosecuted for attempting a coup.

According to this indictment:

* The armed terrorist organisation FETO/PDY has “virtually” taken over our paper, our paper has “virtually” been the defender of a terrorist organisation and has “virtually” been its protector.

There exists no concrete evidence and there is no organisation membership, but there is “virtually” an organisation and the crimes that this organisation has “virtually” committed.

* Under these circumstances, we have been “virtually” detained in Silivri for nine months!

* One of our colleagues contacted a ByLock user on a date on which ByLock did not yet exist – and managed do so!

* Then there is one of our colleagues who had parquet installed at home and, as one of the parquet installer’s other customers was in FETO, he has been deemed to be a FETOist!

* I called a travel company that runs full-page newspaper advertisements and is known by everybody about a three-day holiday in Bodrum. This call is deemed to be communication with a terrorist organisation and has been placed before me in evidence.

Hoping to stay for three days in a room with a sea view in Bodrum, I spent nine months in a cell with a concrete view in Silivri. What I have been through cannot simply be put down to a misbooking!

This indictment:

Is an indictment that has lost contact with objective reality, exceeds the bounds of fairness and lacks seriousness. It is a disgrace in the eyes of everyone whose heart and brains are not mortgaged. Yes, a disgrace!

You will appreciate that I could have made my own jokes about this indictment, but did not. Because, out of politeness, those who do humour know that you do not hit one who is down!

The prosecution has laboured for a full five and a half months, longer than it sounds, so that it can portray us as being connected to certain terrorist organisations and has put together an investigation file amounting to 30 binders along with exhibits. As such, perhaps it was waiting for one of us to come out and confess to our crime. But, maybe a cartoonist would fit the bill!

Can a cartoonist spill the beans? I will give it a go!

Yes, in my life as a cartoonist, I have only aided and abetted one organisation. This organisation is AMCC. This stands for: All My Country’s Children.

Among its members are my two-and-a-half-year-old grandchild. I know that the bench members’ children and the children of our friends in the courtroom number among this organisation’s members.

I asked my grandchild about their organisation’s aims and he told me, ‘Granddad, we want to live like our Western peers. We want our lives to be free and happy. We want to live in decent homes and study in good schools. We don’t want death and destruction for anyone.’

“Well,” I said, “Will you make me a member of your organisation, too?”

 “That’s not on, granddad, you’re not a child. But, if you really want to, you can aid and abet us. You can draw for us.”

So, I confess. In fact, aiding and abetting these children’s organisation has been the meaning of my life. I have always feared being humbled in front of our children rather than threats of punishment!

As you know, Turkey was in 99th place among 113 countries in the 2016 rule of the law index. We all see that the situation has been getting worse in 2017. In discussions over justice, there remains nobody who says, “There is justice in the country.” The common denominator we need to enable us to live together is common justice!

Let the first hearing of this trial that the world is also following with interest be the harbinger of a new period that will revive our faith in the law and justice. I wish for this, not just for myself and my colleagues, but for my country.

Our homes were gone through with a fine toothcomb and it proved possible to find neither safes nor shoeboxes stuffed full of dollars! The Financial Crimes Investigation Board and the Savings and Deposits Insurance Fund examined bank accounts and money movements pertaining to us and our families. But, not a single kurush worth of impropriety was uncovered that could count as crime evidence.

It has proven impossible for even a single piece of evidence showing that we aided and abetted terrorist organisations to be adduced from our personal electronic goods that have been subjected to examination for months or from headlines, news reports, photographs, articles and cartoons that appeared in our paper.

Yes, people’s ears in this country are accustomed to sentences beginning “HEY!”

I wish to wind up my defence by saying, “HEY, CONSCIENCE!”’


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