Oral Çalışlar
Oral Çalışlar (born 14 December 1946,
Tarsus) is a Turkish journalist and writer, currently columnist for ''
Radikal'' and ''
Serbestiyet'', after briefly working as editor-in-chief of ''
Taraf''. He was previously a columnist for ''
Cumhuriyet'' (1992–2008) and ''
Radikal'' (2008–2013). In the 1960s he participated in the student movement and contributed to ''
Aydınlık.'' He was imprisoned for three years after the
1971 Turkish coup d'état. He became editor of newly re-established ''
Aydınlık'' in 1978 and was imprisoned again after the
1980 Turkish coup d'état. As a benefactor of an amnesty, he was eventually released in 1988. From 1990 and 1992 he settled in
Hamburg, following an invitation by the
cities senate. In 1993 he interviewed two personalities of the Kurdish left-wing politics,
Abdullah Öcalan, the founder of the
Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and
Kemal Burkay the chairman of the Socialist Party of Kurdistan for eighteen days. The publications of the interviews later within a book about the Kurdish question in 1993, led to his conviction for two years for separatist propaganda, a verdict he appealed. After several trials concerning the book, he was sentenced for 13 months imprisonment on grounds that he disseminated separatist propaganda. Also this verdict he also appealed. Both, the
Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD) as well as the
Committee to protect Journalists (CPJ) made an opposing statement to Çalışlar being sentenced. Later he was an activist in defense of the freedom of expression. He is the author of around 20 books.
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