Turkey´s public prosecutor in Ankara has asked U.S. authorities to determine the identities of YouTube users that have posted insulting videos of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, and hand them over to Turkey.

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/10508304.asp?gid=243

I wonder what the reply will be..

Why on earth would any person, Turk or non-Turk, ever insult Ataturk or the Turkish flag?

Do what you want to them.

 I suppose that depends on what you mean by "insult".  I certainly think it is best to look at every country and leader objectively

No leader is/was a god

As to thehandsom´s link...no comment   We have discussed and argued about such things before and I prefer to retire to the Translation Lounge

 Should I be worried..since I posted the youtube link here......Don´t let them take me please..........

Did you see the part it says:

Those YouTube users determined to be living outside Turkey will be detained upon entering the country

Have you watched midnight express?

 OMG

And when they finish with YouTube they will start on Turkish Language Class.....RUNNNNNNNN!

 Nope I have never watched midnight express....but what do you think immigration is going to do stamp those individuals passport that says Youtube insulter detain at once.

 Teas, I have sent them your picture....they are waiting for you at the border now!    Sorry, I had to do it....they said they would never let me go dudu shopping again if I didn´t give them your picture.

Teas, pm me your address, I will send you Midnight Express DVD. It is better if you watch it after all this..

 I wonder what reward I would get from the Turkish government if I turned in a Turk who actually owns a copy of Midnight Express......Is that why you had to leave Turkey handsom?

Does owning a copy of Midnight Express constitute an insult to Turkey?  I own a copy  so I better not tell anyone otherwise they might not let me visit anymore

I dont think they will pay any reward for me Lis.. It is not even worth trying

This Turkish obsession with Ataturk is tiresome and ridiculous. I am not commenting on Ataturk himself - he´s not my hero as he´s not from my history book but if somebody considers him wonderful - fine by me. If you want to build him a monument in your garden - go ahead. But if somebody mocks him or makes fun of him they should have the right to do that. There isn´t a universal untouchable so if I want to name my pet pig Ataturk, it´s not Turkish government´s business. Free people are free to joke and/or criticise everybody. Some praise Ali Aðça, some praise Ataturk, others George Bush. Unless you forbid laughing at every single person, you shouldn´t cast stones at those who despise yoru local heroes...

 Well said! And plenty of people mock and insult our Queen but do we get upset?  No we don´t.

 This is a good point.....I often wonder why people get upset when someone makes a comment about a leader of their country.  Personally, I really don´t care what people think of my countries leaders.  I feel more strongly about protecting their rights to disagree with me rather then being upset about someone insulting a US leader. 

Then why are you complaining? Please accept this is Turkish obsession , and do not complain, go and name your pig Atatürk, you dont need to public it here to provoke...

 No problem , but that movie is proven to be a lie by its director and the real character who jailed in Turkia...

 I can never understand why "pig" is used to insult as they are the most amazing creatures.  I used to have a pig as a pet when I was young and it was just like a dog.  It would follow me around the farm, just like a dog and when I called it, it came running to me.  I would go and sit with this pig when there was a storm and it would sit beside me.  It had the most inventive name "Piggy"   I cried for ages when it had to go (you know where)

 where to? to the frying pan?

 This is wrong on so many levels!!

What is there a reward attached to this?  I´ll just have to wear my burqa when entering Turkey...

Wow..everyone has seen Midnight Express but me..I´m so out of the loop.  I guess I will have to rent it...

Dont worry.

They say that they watched it but most of them did not understand what it was about anyway (including some Brits )

Stating that I find this obsession ridiculous and that I fail to understand it is not really complaining, is it? And I cannot accept it as it opposes everything I advocate. Also, it´s just a thought, not an attempt to provoke. Lighten up Armegon

+1000 

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."      Voltaire

How does Turkey reconcile the guarantee of freedom of expression and dissemination of thought in its constitution with laws in the penal code that make insulting Turkishness a crime? Wouldn´t the law be unconstitutional?

Someones praising terrorists in Turkish parliament nowadays, is it free for Obama to praise Bin Ladin in US parliament? Is it enough for freedom of expression?

 Ehh, such a simple comment, no one need to think like you, change the verb "complain" into "disturb" then, you are also obsessed with the obsession of Turks , because of this i find your comments provoking rather than ridiculous. Mine just a thought too, your mentality opposes everything that i advocate, lighten up twice DayDreamer  

WHOA. youtube huh... wait till they check facebook groups.

I´m sorry, I have difficulty understanding the point you´re making and how it relates to my question. If you´re saying that freedom of expression means you can say whatever you want, then no, I don´t think that´s what it means - definitely there are social rules that apply and consequences of making statements against those rules. Just like there are rules on this forum about what one can say and consequences of it as well. But what freedom of speech guarantees is that you won´t get jailed for having an opinion and expressing it.

What my question inquired about is, for the Turkish people, do they even question the legality or validity of the law that makes it a crime to insult turkishness? Does anybody consider if to be contrary to the guarantees of the constitution? Or do people think it´s ok? And what exactly is "turkishness"? Are there specifications which say what you can or cannot say? Obviously Ataturk is one, any others?

I think some Turks do question the validity of it....but many never question anything.  My own personal observation is that, from a young age, children in Turkey are taught not to question and to take offence to anything that seems to question anything to do with Turkey. 

This is where I fail to understand how Turks feel about insulting Turkishness.  I am really not trying to insult anyone, but my very nature, as an American, almost forces me to question EVERYTHING. 

I am running back to the lounge now!

 I edited your post for you - you made some mistakes

Yes come to the lounge - we have a new member (Armegon) - he loves me to dance

 Thanks for watching my posts for me....I knew I could count on one of my evil Western sisters to help me.

Yes, I saw Armegon in the lounge last night...he was dancing too!  I tried to get him to put his clothes back on but he just kept on!

 No...really?!?!?!?!

I missed it

 I posted his dancing in the lounge forum.  Of course, this was taken before things got out of hand!

Actually I prefer to think I´m amused by this obsession. It´s probably wrong of me as people who go to jail for their lack of love for Ataturk deserve more than amusement but that´s my mean nature

quoting armegon (I hate that new way of formating text, I don´t know how to multiquote anymore)

Mine just a thought too, your mentality opposes everything that i advocate, lighten up twice DayDreamer

Were I believer, I´d say thank God

Dear Bed Amerikan, do you realise (realize for you) you have just insulted Armegonness? You will be notified of suitable punishment once the TC board has had its annual conference. And yes, the amout of laptops you send to Turkish Dudus seriously increases your chances of the punishment being reduced to, say, five go-go dances a month.

+10001

Perfect observation!!

If it is only lack of love

 Then i can say thank God, i think you should say thank my ego

 No, you are mistaken , he more looks like your dudu husband , that you recorded and post it to youtube to prove how he twist wonderfully

Maybe it´s more your ability to think critically I´m sure you recall how people here were brain-washed by the government and media to believe that if you criticize the war in Iraq and the president then you´re un-patriotic and anti-American and many people actually BELIEVED it. Being American doesn´t protect anybody from being simple minded and lack critical thinking skills, but at least nobody gets thrown to jail if the do happen to question everything 

I hope I´ll get a list of "10 things you can´t say here" when I visit Turkey. Otherwise I´ll probably rot in prison there.

 Well, I guess you would know, you and my husband were in the same dancing school! 

Its very related to your question since you can say this in parliament, whatelse left smart lady  

This really shows your lack of knowledge, why dont you start to dig up old threads here?Then after commenting here. Or you can also search Atatürk nationalism, will be a good start

Ya, we sent tourists to jail, all likes Turkish jails, and because of this Turkey is one of the country of tourism...

 He is your husband then , unfortunately i cant dance, it is for sure your husbands mate is your other dudu lover , you need to change your glasses Eli...

It is precisely because of my lack of knowlege that I asked that question, Einstein. If I wanted just information I´d do my own reasearch, thank you very much. I´ll take your tips into consideration though . I was more interested in people´s opinions rather than facts, something, that obviously was lost to you in translation.

 Yes, that will be better as there are not so many Turkish people here. Welcome ...