Oral Çalışlar (born 14 December 1946 in Tarsus) is a Turkish journalist and writer, currently columnist for Radikal and Serbestiyet, after briefly working as editor-in-chief of Taraf.
[2] In 1993 he interviewed two personalities of the Kurdish left-wing politics, Abdullah Öcalan, the founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Kemal Burkay the chairman of the Socialist Party of Kurdistan for eighteen days.
The publications of the interviews later within a book about the Kurdish question in 1993,[3] led to his conviction for two years for separatist propaganda, a verdict he appealed.
[4] After several trials concerning the book, he was sentenced for 13 months imprisonment on grounds that he disseminated separatist propaganda.
[3] Both, the Turkish Industry and Business Association (TUSIAD) as well as the Committee to protect Journalists (CPJ) made an opposing statement to Çalışlar being sentenced.