ANKARA, March 2, 2007  –  Umut Guner, the editor and publisher of the Turkish LGBT magazine Kaos-GL, has been cleared of “peddling pornography” in the magazine.

Mr Guner was accused of publishing pornographic articles.  The charge was based on the Turkish Penal Code, Article 226 which 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 first stage of the trial was in December.

He could have faced up to three years in prison over last summer’s issue of the magazine, which critically analyzed the relationship between homosexuality and pornography in articles by several noted Turkish writers.

While the court dismissed the case against Mr. Guner, it deemed Kaos-GL to be “obscene” and ordered that magazine can only be distributed inside an envelope, with a notification on the envelope saying that it can not be sold to the people under 18 years of age.

Kaos-GL does not consider itself to be obscene and is appealing this part of the court decision to the Supreme Court.

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