The Relative Freedom of Musa Kart

Screen dump (LCL) from here.

Musa Kart is free.

The immense relief of his release from jail along with four of his colleagues at the paper Cumhuriyet came on Wednesday following the overturn of their verdicts by Turkish Supreme Court of Appeals. They were not allowed to make any public statements outside the prison, so they continued to a place five kilometers further on, where Musa Kart read a statement on behalf of them all. Sharp in words as in drawing as always, the following excerpts is a rough translation, please read the original if possible:


"It is difficult to live in countries that have lost their sense of profession. But it is even harder to live in countries, where everything is humor. Unfortunately we are going through a period where everything is humor. The prosecutor, who demanded 30-40 years of punishment for us, is being charged with membership of a FETÖ terrorist organization and sentenced to life imprisonment".

"Now we will not make grievance literature over the months and years stolen from us. But we do not give up our demand for a modern state of law. We insist on this. Yes, we are free right now, but we have left a lot of grievances behind us. We left people urgently waiting for justice. Everyone knows that journalists are being thrown into prisons to create a climate of fear. We want to see that this is not the right way. Also be aware what can be seen, prisons do not disturb our stance nor our smile".


Musa Kart decided last year to retire from his profession. An utterly understandable decision on a personal level, considering his every move will continue to be monitored. For one he is barred from leaving the country. May he continue find a way to give us his perspective of the windings of the world. We need his voice in this day of humor.