Even though anti-Americanism is quite high in the Republic of Turkey, the ban of the letter “w” has nothing to do with George “W” Bush or the “w”ar in Iraq in the Middle Eastern Country.

At least one person is on trial in Turkey for using the letter “w” in a Turkish article about a Kurdish holiday, Newroz, reports Bianet from Turkey.

NowKiyasettin Aslan, the Kilis province chair of the Office Workers’ Union (BES) is on trial for using the words “Newroz” and “Kawa” in articles published in two local newspapers. The “w” does not exist in the Turkish alphabet[…]

In an article published in the local Huduteli newspaper on 20 March and entitled “May the Newroz Fire Never Go Out” and another article in the Kent newspaper on 24 March, entitled “Fire and Iron”, Aslan had written about the Newroz Festival.

Prosecutor Serkan Özkanis demanding that the Kilis Criminal Court of Peace sentence Aslan to two to six months imprisonment. The trial will begin on 27 December.

The prosecution has clear roots in the Kurdish nature of the article since “www” has been freely used in the Turkish newspapers without any problems (at least, until today). 

So add to your Turkish dictionary that not only there are no Kurds in Turkey and that the Armenian Genocide never happened, but that if you want to avoid Turkish prison you’d better stop using the letter “w.”  (And in case you thought this is new invention, recall the ban of water’s formula in the Ottoman Empire where Sultan Abdul Hamid the Second thought H₂O might mean Hamid the Second is equal to zero.)