ative ▁tradition . ▁ ▁Conf lict ▁with ▁the ▁Turkish ▁state ▁Me h med ▁U z un ▁was ▁charged ▁several ▁times ▁in ▁Turkey ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁activities ▁in ▁the ▁field ▁of ▁Kur d ish ▁literature ▁. ▁He ▁was ▁arrested ▁on ▁March ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁as ▁man aging ▁editor ▁of ▁a ▁Kur d ish - T urk ish ▁magazine , ▁and ▁was ▁accused ▁of ▁" separ at ism " ▁and ▁ja iled ▁in ▁An k ara ' s ▁central ▁prison . ▁During ▁his ▁trial ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁he ▁attempted ▁to ▁prove ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁the ▁Kur ds ▁and ▁the ▁Kur d ish ▁language . ▁The ▁pro sec utor ' s ▁argument ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁Kur ds ▁and ▁their ▁language ▁had ▁no ▁form ▁of ▁existence . ▁Anyone ▁claim ing ▁the ▁opposite ▁was ▁considered ▁a ▁separ at ist ▁and ▁des erved ▁to ▁be ▁pun ished . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁sent enced ▁to ▁eight ▁months ▁in ▁prison . ▁After ▁release , ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁under ▁the ▁threat ▁of ▁ind ict ment ▁on ▁account ▁of ▁his ▁respons ib ilities ▁as ▁editor ▁of ▁the ▁a for ement ioned ▁magazine , ▁and ▁consequ ently ▁he ▁chose ▁ex ile ▁and ▁left ▁for ▁Sweden ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 . ▁The ▁reg ulations ▁prev ail ing ▁in ▁Turkey ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁made ▁return ▁to ▁his ▁native ▁country ▁impossible . ▁ ▁Sub sequently , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁by ▁decision ▁of ▁the ▁military ▁regime ▁and ▁like ▁many