Defamation charges pressed against Turkish-Dutch journalist

The foundation Turkish-Islamic Cultural Federation and 22 Turkish-Dutch people filed defamation charges against Turkish-Dutch journalist Ebru Umar, their lawyer Ad Westendorp said on Friday, ANP reports.

The report they filed states that Umar deliberately insulted them in one of her columns in newspaper Metro. They are referring to a column she wrote shortly after being arrested in Turkey in April. In the column she compares Turkish-Dutch to members of the NSB - a former fascist party in the Netherlands - and congratulates them on their failed Dutch citizenship.

“CONGRATULATIONS with your completely failed Dutch citizenship”, she wrote. “CONGRATULATIONS on your loyalty to a couple of mountain goats from Turkey, goat fuckers if you will, who you follow as soon as they call for NSB (a former fascist party in the Netherlands, ed) behavior. (…) I congratulate you Dutch-Turks on your NSB behavior You are the reason I am stuck in Turkey.”

The charges were filed with the Public Prosecutor's National Discrimination Expertise center, the lawyer said.

On twitter Umar responded: "So you congratulate people on their failed Dutch nationality and as proof they file charges of defamation. Brilliant."