Ankara Ekin Theater was being prosecuted for defaming the police because an actor in the play barked while acting as a police officer. The court ruled in favor of the theater.

It was revealed that the person “barking” like a dog was acting as an “undercover cop” in the play, so, the undercover agent saved the Theater group from further punishment.

The prosecutors filed a case against the well known progressive theater group in Ankara, the Ekin Theater Group. The formal charge brought against the players was for an actor to “bark” like a dog while acting as a cop, and thus defaming the security services. The group had staged a play called, “How do You Form a Secret Organization?” The play was based on a factual event which had occurred during the military coup era known as September 12th of 1980. The play was performed in Kocaeli on October 5th, but a complaint report was filed 20 days later charging that the security forces were being ridiculed. The prosecutor had asked for prison terms ranging from 6 months to 3 years.

Due to the “undercover police” act performed by the actor who had barked, the court ruled that there was no indication of any defamation of police forces, because the police was dressed as a civilian in the play.

ANF NEWS AGENCY

MB.