ATIK | Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe | AHM-ATIK News Center
Stop the extradition of Turgut Kaya by the Greek government to Turkey.
On May 30th the Athens Supreme Court of Justice passed its judgment and recommendation in favour of extradition to Turkey of Turgut Kaya, a Turkish national. Turgut Kaya is a revolutionary journalist and author with over 20 years record of struggle for democracy and human rights in Turkey. From his days a student till now he has been persecuted and intimidated by the Turkish state and authorities. Turgut Kaya was arrested in February by the Greek authorities responding to Interpol ‘Red alert’ called by the Turkish regime.
The May 30th judgement of the Supreme court in Athens, concludes the process of the two months judicial hearing where defence lawyers have presented ample evidence that:
- Mr Kaya is a political refugee escaping political persecution in his own country;
- He has on several occasions undergone imprisonment, isolation, severe torture and ill-treatment by the authorities while in custody in Turkey;
- On a previous case of abuse and ill-treatment brought by Mr Kaya against the government of Turkey to the European Court of Human rights, the Turkish government was forced to settle out of court due to the overwhelming weight of evidence against the Turkish state; and,
- There is no chance of a fair trial on charges brought against him by the Turkish government.
On the latter point raised by Mr Kaya’s defence team regarding the possibility of fair trial in Turkey, we are reminded that since the failed coup attempt in June 2015, the imposition of ‘emergency rule’, the arrest of thousands of opponents of the AKP government, the growing curtailment of freedom of speech and association and the dismissal of the main body of the independent judiciary (current judges are now appointed directly by the president Mr Erdogan) there is no chance of a fair trial for anyone deemed opponent of the government let alone Mr Kaya or similar patriot, progressive and revolutionary individuals in Turkey.
Clearly, the judgement by the supreme court in Athens that recommends the extradition of Mr Turgut Kaya, to the ministry of justice of Greek government, is unsound, unjust and smacks of a political deal or collusion with the repressive government of Turkey led by Mr Erdogan and the AKP.
We call on all progressive and freedom-loving people ad human rights organisations, in Greece, Europe and the rest of the world to rally and show their concern about the case of Mr Kaya by writing letters of concern to the ministry of justice of the government of Greece about the fate of Mr Kaya and to oppose this travesty of justice and unsound decision of the Greek Courts.
We call on democratic forces and organisations to join protest actions in front of Greek embassies and consulates in their own countries expressing their opposition to extradition of Mr Kaya to Turkey.
We demand the immediate and unconditional suspension of the Interpol alert against Mr Turgut Kaya on the basis that the Turkish government has used these channels as an extension of political persecution of Mr Kaya.
The Greek government must stop all attempts and requests to extradite Mr Kaya and other progressives in Greece.
We demand that Greek government recognise and respect the rights of Mr Kaya as a political refugee and according to international laws and convention grant the status of political refugee and the protection of Greek state to Mr Kaya.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Turgut Kaya from prison in Greece.
| Emergency Committee for the Freedom of Turgut kaya | Contact: freeturgutkaya@gmail.com |
Addresses:
| Mr Stavros Kondonis Justice Minister |
His Excellency Mr Alexis TsiprasPrime minister |
| Ministry of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights 96, Mesogion Ave., 11527, ATHENS HELLAS Tel. Centre: (+30) 210 7767000Email : Click Here for contact form |
General Secretariat of the Prime Minister Maxim’s Mansion 19 Irodou Attikou 10674 Athensprimeminister@primeminister.grTel: +30 2106711000 |
Please send your solidarity letters and a copy of your protest letter in support Turgut Kay to our email address: freeturgutkaya@gmail.com
Information about Turgut Kaya
Turgut Kaya entered university in 1990. He began his political activities as a university student in these years.
He was first taken into custody in 1992 at the university. He was engaged in protest actions in the campus for academic and democratic rights. Following arrest, he was severely tortured in custody and was sent to Bayrampaşa Prison. He was imprisoned for two months.
In 1994 he was detained once again at the university. The justification and the charge against Turgut Kaya by the authorities was “membership of an illegal organisation”. They tried to eliminate him in custody. Police did not accept that Turgut Kaya was in custody for a week. During this time, he was subjected to intense torture including the notorious reverse hanging, branded the “Palestinian hanging” and they gave electric shock all over his body.
Following this period of detention, he was sent to Bayrampaşa Prison, and stayed there for two months. He was later acquitted from these charges.
He was taken into custody and arrested in 1997 in Muğla.
At first, he was put in a prison where the confessors and turncoats were present. He launched thirty days of hunger strike demanding to be sent to another prison because of the threat to his life. Because of the hunger strike, he was transferred to Bergama Prison. He was sentenced to three years in prison on the grounds that his demand to be transferred was granted. He was released in 2000. Following his release, he continued his engagement in the democratic, political struggles.
In 2005, he began to work as an editor and a reporter at Özgür Gelecek newspaper, which he continued to write periodically.
In 2006, he was arrested again and remained in prison for six years. For six years, he was subjected to torture and ill-treatment including brutal beating and disciplinary punishment in prison. For example, as disciplinary punishments, he was subjected to solitary confinement for over a year. He was denied access and never met with anyone. He was subjected to the same treatment and forced isolation at every prison he was held. Until his release in 2012, this torture and ill-treatment continued.
From 2012 until 2015, he continued his democratic struggle and took up writing articles for Özgür Gelecek newspaper. In the same period, his book entitled “Primitive Society, Asian Mode of Production and the Ottoman Society” was published. Due to the extreme pressures and repression, in 2015 he came to Greece.
