Turkish gay
publisher may be jailed for magazine

The editor and publisher of a Turkish LBGT magazine faces up to three years in prison if convicted of peddling "pornography" in his publication, Kaos GL.

Umut Guner is accused of publishing pornographic issues based on the Turkish Penal Code, Article 226, according to Kaos GL's Web site. The criminal code states that "a person who broadcasts or publishes obscene images, printed or audio material or who acts as an intermediary for this purpose shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of six months to three years."

The July 24 issue was confiscated by a Turkish court the day it was printed because it was deemed pornographic. The issue examined pornography by experts in the field, the Web site said.

In 2005 Kaos GL requested that while the code was in review, it include a definition of "obscenity"

The 12-year-old publication appealed a decision by the lower court that ruled the publication was pornographic. The publishers plan to appeal the case to the European Court of Human Rights. (The Advocate)