Article 312 was a controversial[weasel words] article of the Turkish Penal Code relating to inciting racial or religious hatred encouraging people to disobey[clarification needed] the law.
In 1999 the mayor of Istanbul and current president of the Turkish Republic Recep Tayyip Erdogan was sentenced to 10 months' imprisonment under Article 312 for reading a few lines from a poem that had been authorized by the Ministry of National Education for use in schools, and consequently had to resign.
[3] In 2000 the chairman of the Human Rights Association, Akin Birdal, was imprisoned under Article 312 for a speech in which he called for "peace and understanding" between Kurds and Turks,[3] and thereafter forced to resign, as the Law on Associations forbids persons who breach this and several other laws from serving as association officials.
[3] On February 6, 2002, a "mini-democracy package" was voted by Parliament, altering wording of Art.
Under the revised text, incitement can only be punished if it presents "a possible threat to public order".