Mahmut Karaduman was a Turkish national and the
plaintiff
A plaintiff ( Π in legal shorthand) is the party who initiates a lawsuit (also known as an ''action'') before a court. By doing so, the plaintiff seeks a legal remedy. If this search is successful, the court will issue judgment in favor of the ...
in a famous libel case. The
Long Island newspaper ''
Newsday
''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and ...
'' wrote a series of thirty-two articles entitled ''The Heroin Trail'', which was awarded the
Pulitzer Prize Gold Medal for public service. Karaduman sued ''
Newsday
''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and ...
'' over the following description:
The owner of the Karavan nightclub in Istanbul's Galatasaray Square
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü (, ''Galatasaray Sports Club'') is a Turkish people, Turkish sports club based on the Rumelia, European side of the city of Istanbul in Turkey. Most notable for its Galatasaray S.K. (football team), association footbal ...
, middle-aged Douman aradumandivides his time between Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
, where his brother handles base shipments, and villas in Switzerland and Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
. He specializes in smuggling by the Black Sea route. His lieutenant, a Turk named Gabi Kaiat, lives in Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north ...
and handles transshipments on the Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
n end.
Bob Greene,
Les Payne
Leslie Payne (July 12, 1941 – March 19, 2018) was an American journalist. He served as an editor and columnist at ''Newsday'' and was a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists. Payne received a Pulitzer Prize for his investi ...
and Knut Royce were the ''Newsday'' journalists Karaduman sued. Although Karaduman was cleared of the drug charge in that there had been proven "substantial falsity" in the stories, there was no judgment against ''Newsday'' in that the story had not been grossly irresponsible.
Quotes about Karaduman
*"Four jurors showed up, all of them woman, all black. I learned a lot that day. They all told me that they were sure that Karaduman had been involved with drugs. They had believed Arras, but a number of them already had come to that view of Karaduman as they observed his own testimony. 'We could tell,' one of them told me, 'that you were worried that we would believe Karaduman. But we know drug dealers in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harl ...
, and we knew he was one.'"
Floyd Abrams
Floyd Abrams (born in July 9, 1936) is an American attorney at Cahill Gordon & Reindel. He is an expert on constitutional law and has argued in 13 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Abrams represented ''The New York Times'' i ...
, '' Speaking Freely'', published by Viking Press
Viking Press (formally Viking Penguin, also listed as Viking Books) is an American publishing company owned by Penguin Random House. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim and then acquir ...
(2005), Page 150-151.
See also
*
Floyd Abrams and The Heroin Trail case
Floyd Abrams (born in July 9, 1936) is an American attorney at Cahill Gordon & Reindel. He is an expert on constitutional law and has argued in 13 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States.
Abrams represented '' The New York Times'' ...
References
Turkish businesspeople
{{Turkey-bio-stub