Lawsuit Filed Against Merve Safa Kavakci

ISTANBUL, Feb 18 (A.A) - A lawsuit was filed against Merve Safa Kavakci who had been earlier stripped off her deputyship by the parliament and citizenship by the Council of Ministers decision, on charges of ''insulting the Republic of Turkey''.
Indictment prepared by Prosecutor Nurten Altinok said, ''private TV channel Kanal-D broadcast an interview of Merve Safa Kavakci with Qatar-based Al-Jazira TV Channel on November 26, 2001. This news story was accepted as a criminal denunciation. During the interview, Kavakci claimed that women wearing Islamic-style headscarves were attacked in Turkey and that non-governmental organizations should intervene in this violation. 'I was prevented from taking oath at the parliament as a deputy. I was exposed to discrimination. 70 percent of women in Turkey prefers to wear headscarves,' she claimed in that interview.''
The indictment sought imprisonment terms from one year up to six years to Kavakci on charges of ''insulting the Republic of Turkey'.
Istanbul High Criminal Court will start hearing the case in coming days.