Durham artist fears for his future in Turkey

Jul 1 2009 by James Marley, The Journal

A DURHAM artist who was cleared of mocking Turkey’s prime minister by portraying him as a dog in a collage has fled the country after hearing his acquittal has been overturned.

Michael Dickinson, 59, returned home after hearing a late-night TV report saying the acquittal had been quashed and a new trial was pending.

“I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. I was told by a woman, whose husband had seen it, and I said ’He must be dreaming’,” he said.

“I caught a plane out as soon as I could, leaving most of my possessions behind, including my books, furnishings and computer. I was sad to leave after 23 years in Turkey, but I don’t fancy another taste of Turkish hospitality in incarceration.”

Mr Dickinson is expecting the trial to go ahead in his absence where his lawyer will represent him. The artist was cleared by a court in Istanbul after a judge decided the controversial collage of Tayyip Erdogan was art and not insulting.