It is next to impossible for my American husband, to grasp any system that criminalizes the expression of ideas and thoughts and opinions. US constitution prohibits punishment for expression of thoughts and opinions. But he understands that many countries, Turkey included, have laws which criminalize certain expressions, and believes that with the passage of time these laws will wither away.

I think AlphaF deliberately understood me wrong. And it is a misconception to think that Holland is a good place to curse Turkey. If you hear Wilders speak on foreign affairs, please dont think you know us all. Holland has a big integration-problem and there are some people who have a strange way of dealing with it. But Dutch government or society does not encourage to curse or discriminate against Turks. And yes, I felt offended by this just a tiny bit


In Turkey the line between insult and criticism is too small, not only in some peoples head.

I dont think I ever purposedly insulted someone, but to me there is not only an important difference between insult-criticism, but also a difference in how people receive so called 'insults'. What is an insult to one, can be criticism to another.

Just as an example (no misunderstandings please, I have no opinion whatsoever on this, just to draw an example)

"Atatürk was an idiot because he didnt mention Kurdistan like he did in a former treaty."


Insult or criticism? Whats it for you? And whats it for the one you say it to?

I couldnt be bothered to put someone in jail for it or give a money ceza. Actually I see no harm in this at all. But Im pretty sure that many Turks will jump up and say you are offending Turkishness.

Aenigma,except for pornography which uses children, any "censorship" of films, etc. in the USA is imposed by the media industry, and not the government. Of course there are restrictions on pornography, which is far different than restrictions on political expression and opinion.