The ax of censorship fell again, in Turkey, this time targeting philosophy books for children. 7 titles from the “Les Goûters philo” collection, translated into Turkish and published by the Günışığı Kitaplığı publishing house, are now prohibited for those under 18, due to images, terms and expressions that threaten “ the spirituality of the child and its development “.
Co-signed by Brigitte Labbé and Michel Puech, courage and fear, love and friendship, The good and the bad, Small people and tall people, boys and girls are targeted by this censorship, as well as two other titles, co-written by Brigitte Labbé and Pierre-François Dupont-Beurier, dictatorship and democracy as well as body and mind.
” 32 titles from the collection have been translated into Turkey », says Brigitte Labbé, « a country where I very often go for talks in schools, both public and private, and libraries. During the confinement, the Turkish schools had also been very demanding of online debates, with the children, to organize moments of reflection and breathing. »
For more than 10 years, the books of the “Cıtır Çıtır Philosophy” collection, translated by Azade Aslan, have been published and distributed by the Turkish publishing house Günışığı Kitaplığı, in particular to schools. Founded in 1996 by Mine Soysal, Hande Demirtaş and Müren Beykan, the structure has shown remarkable longevity, and, in addition to its catalog, is committed to developing the culture of books and reading in Turkey.
Books in plastic
Prohibited for sale to minors, the books in the collection will now be presented in plastic, after the decision of the committee for the protection of minors from obscene publications, hosted by the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services.
The elements referred to in the various titles will soon be detailed to the publishing house in a reasoned letter, but the authors and publishers can easily imagine that the cover of the book boys and girls, on which a little girl and a little boy look in their panties, could shock the authorities. The theme of this same work, morality, as well as the defense of an internal moral law, and not dictated by the exterior, which it develops, doubtless did not convince the censors.
On social networks, a passage taken from one of the targeted titles, Small people and tall peoplehas also generated many comments, often angry: the authors of these comments point to the evocation of a sexual assault in one of the books, confusing the act and the words about this act. The online controversy was of course able to motivate the committee’s decisions, especially since several media close to the government fed it by reproducing excerpts out of context.
” The fact that we are targeting works associating children and philosophy seems to me quite symbolic: we are thus attacking the very root of the development of a critical spirit. “, deplores Brigitte Labbé.
According to our information, the Turkish publishing house is considering legal action against the decision, and is contesting its grounds.
The books in the “Les Goûters philo” collection are translated and published by more than fifty publishing houses around the world, particularly in Colombia, Thailand, China… 4.5 million copies have been sold. sold internationally. Next August, the collection will host its 50th book, published by Milan.
These publications ” obscene »
Ranked among the countries that imprison writers the most, Turkey has seen a significant setback in freedom of expression since the failed 2016 coup, used by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to retaliate very severe.
READ: Life imprisonment against Pinar Selek: the “dictatorial cycle” continues in Turkey
The conditions for exercising the profession of publisher have also become more complex, with the proliferation, in particular, of lawsuits and other procedures for ” insults to the president “, which make it possible to silence the opposition. The effects of the legislation on works intended for young people qualified as obscene are also felt, facilitating censorship, but also self-censorship.
Since 2018, a committee for the protection of minors from obscene publications has been reactivated by the government and, between July 2019 and November 2021, 24 books, including 15 intended for young people, have been classified as “ obscene “.
The Association of Turkish Publishers is all the more concerned that this legislation for the protection of minors affects works that evoke gender equality or sexual diversity and freedom.
Photography: covers of the Turkish editions of The good and the bad, love and friendship and boys and girls (Günışığı Kitaplığı)
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