Petition of Support for Artistic Expression

Artist Michael Dickinson facing jail time in Turkey for artwork

Last year, Michael Dickinson, a British Stuckist artist in Turkey and a frequent contributor to MungBeing Magazine, was arrested and held by police for 10 days for displaying 2 collage pictures of Turkey's Prime Minister as America's pet dog (see below). Charged with 'insulting the prime minister' under Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code, he faces a two year jail sentence if found guilty. We at MungBeing throw our support fully behind an artist's right of free expression. Any laws that stifle an artist's creative and artistic expression must not be allowed to persist. Michael's court date is October 8th, 2007. The case has been adjourned until March 24, 2008.
UPDATE: The professors of art from Marmara University invited by the judge to give their evaluation as to whether it was art or insult didn't show up, so the trial has been adjourned until October 25th 2008.

News Coverage:

• Satire that could land British artist in a Turkish jail By Dalya Alberge and Suna Erdem, The Times (UK)
• Briton charged over 'insult' to Turkish PM by Nicholas Birch, The Guardian (UK)
• Turkey and the EU (video) Channel 4 TV (UK)
• A Call to Arts by Kevin Ausmus, Pasadena Weekly (US)
• more news coverage here

Sign the Petition

'Good Boy' - the offending collage.

This petition of support is intended to be used as part of Mr. Dickinson's defense to demonstrate to the court the value and import we place on artistic inquiry and an artist's right to self expression. Additionally, this petition supports the abolition of Articles 301 and 125 and all other articles of the Turkish Penal Code that stifle and punish freedom of speech and expression.

UPDATE from October 8th trial according to Michael:

A couple of witnesses gave evidence - a plain-clothes police woman who said she'd seen me open the poster of Good Boy last year in the corridor of the court building when I was showing it to another person; and the policeman who had arrested me after I opened it to photographers waiting outside. The judge said the next hearing will be on the 24th March, during which time he will have gathered the opinions of the university arts professors on my work.

Here's how Michael describes this unfortunate situation:

"[I was] called to court again unexpectedly a couple of weeks ago, when a cop rang my doorbell and handed me a summons to appear in court on 25 April at 11.30 in connection with the collages I made last year depicting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan in the role of a dog, controlled and feted by American President George W Bush.

I was surprised, thinking all that stuff had finished after my arrest and prolonged detainment in police custody last year.

In my defense I said that the collages were not meant as a personal attack on the Prime Minister, but his position, and the fact that President Bush considers him a useful friend and ally. Turkish soil is home to American nuclear bombs at the US airbase at Diyarbakir.

'Best in Show' - another offending collage.

I said that I was an artist(?) and did not usually plan my collages, but acted on inspiration at the time of making, often as a reaction to news of what is happening in the world, particularly Iraq.

When the judge asked me to describe what I was trying to say in my 2 collage pictures of Erdogan in the role of America's dog, I said that it was up to the viewer to make his own interpretation; a visual artist shouldn't need to explain in words. Pictures are for eyes. Words (spoken) are for ears.

I said that over the years I'd made countless collage pictures of President GW Bush and Tony Blair in much more unflattering roles without persecution. In the Western/European world, artists are allowed to express their feelings in their works.

The trial has been adjourned until 8th October. During that time the court will seek the opinion of a number of Turkish university professors as to whether my collages are 'art' or crime.

Informational links:

• Additional News Coverage:
  • Vatan (Turkish)
  • The Sunday Times, News in Brief
  • Turkish Daily News
  • Agence France Press (AFP)
  • The Northern Echo
  • AFP (in French)
• Controversial Articles of the Turkish Penal Code
  • The Amnesty International Library has information about Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code.
  • Articles in the Turkish Penal Code constituting obstacles to freedom of thought and expression.
  • Turkish Database listing all the most recent cases of people being tried under these various articles. Michael Dickinson on page 9; Erkan Kara (also accused in this case) is on page 6.
• Michael Dickinson in Counterpunch
  • March 31, 2005: Turkey's War on Political Cartoonists Cartoon Capers (The reason behind 'Best in Show')
  • June 8, 2006: The Bush's Dog Case Criminal Collage
  • September 15, 2006: Extract from a Diary in Turkish Police Custody My Escape Attempt in Prison Transfer
  • September, 2006: A Prison Diary Watching the Guards
  • May 2, 2007: Criminalizing Art Trouble in Turkey
• Background Information
  • Information About Michael Dickinson MungBeing Magazine
  • Outspoken: a conversation with Michael Dickinson by David "Starchy" Grant, MungBeing Magazine
  • Stuckism coverage and information
  • Information from Wikipedia