Author faces 'terror propaganda' charges for fiction novel

Ferhat Yaşar / Gazete Duvar

An Istanbul court on Sept. 18 held the first hearing of author Yavuz Ekinci on "terrorism propaganda" charges for his novel Dreams Divided (Rüyası Bölünenler) published in 2014. 

The trial began with the attendance of many authors and civil society representatives.

In his defense, Ekinci rejected all charges and drew attention to the conditions leading to the banning of his book. 

"Dreams Divided is the story of my home, my people, my village, my country. It is the story of those who wait endlessly by the window, in front of the TV, for news of their sons, daughters, or fathers. Whether you call them Saturday Mothers or Diyarbakır Families, Dreams Divided tells the story of this land,” he explained. 

Ekinci continued, “What troubles me the most in this case, and what I’ve tried to understand since I first heard about it, is the mindset of the person who reported my novel to the Presidential communication system CİMER on the night of the second day of the massive Feb. 6 earthquake.” 

“Amidst this horror, on the night of Feb. 7, someone took the time to report my novel to CİMER, accusing me of terror propaganda. While I felt ashamed even to sit, eat, or talk during those days, someone reported my book, thinking they were being patriotic,” the author said. 

Ekinci held that his novel was a work of fiction. “The fact that the fictional world I created seems real to the court speaks to the power of my literature and the court’s approach to fiction. Suing a fictional universe is abstract. Judging, banning, and seizing it in today’s courts is political. To judge an artist based on characters and their words is an insult to art,” he contended. 

The court decided to inquire with the Istanbul Security Branch Directorate about the publication date of Ekinci’s Dreams Divided and referred the case to the prosecution for an opinion on the merits. The trial was adjourned to Dec. 9.

Following the hearing, Ekinci made a statement in front of the courthouse. “This is not just a case against me, but a warning to all authors. No one can tell a writer what to write or how to write. We want literature to be discussed through new styles, not lawsuits,” he said. 

What happened?

Following a complaint to CİMER on Feb. 7, 2023, one day after the Feb. 6 earthquakes, an investigation was launched into Yavuz Ekinci’s novel Dreams Divided, published by Doğan Kitap in 2014.

On March 14, 2023, Istanbul’s 7th Criminal Court of Peace issued a decision to seize the books. Following this, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office also initiated an investigation.

(English version by Ayşenaz Toptaş)

Turkish court bans imprisoned Kurdish politician Gültan Kışanak's bookDomestic

Journalist Gökçer Tahincioğlu’s book banned in Van prison over ‘terror propaganda’Domestic

Demirtaş faces new terrorism charges over tweet from nine years agoPolitics