Writer Akhanlı Released Pending Trial

Writer Erdoğan Akhanlı was released pending trial at the first hearing before the Istanbul 11^th High Criminal Court. He is tried for his alleged involvement in an armed robbery 21 years ago. Akhanlı, living in Germany, was detained when he entered Turkey in August 2010.

The writer decided to remain silent during the entire hearing to express his protest against the trial. He presented a letter to Court President Judge Şeref Akçay and explained, "I am in absolute silence. I do not want to be disrespectful. Do not perceive my silence as an insult".

Judge Akçay replied, "We do not perceive your silence as an insult, it is your legal right and we respect that". After that, Akhanlı did not respond to any questions.

Akhanlı's letter and the indictment were read out in the first hearing of the case on Wednesday (8 December). The writer's lawyer, Haydar Erol, objected some allegations included in the indictment and requested to remove the items that he assessed as illegal evidence from the file.

Lawyer Erol claimed that the statements from witnesses Hamza Kopal and Fatih Çalışkan were taken after both of them had been tortured for seven days. Erol demanded to remove these sections from the indictment as well as the identification record that was based on one single photograph. He stated, "An imaginary indictment was written based on unfounded evidence".

Akhanlı is considered as one of the culprits involved in a robbery on an exchange bureau in Eminönü (Istanbul) on 23 October 1989 and is charged with the "attempt to overthrow the constitutional order by armed force". The owner of the exchange office, İbrahim Yaşar Tutum, was killed in the robbery. His sons, Ünay and Mustafa Tutum, are included in the indictment as the aggrieved party.

The indictment was prepared on 25 August and seeks prison terms according to Article 146/1 of the former Turkish Criminal Code (TCK). Akhanlı was arrested when he entered Turkey on 10 August and taken to the Tekirdağ (Thrace) No.2 F Type Prison.

The plaintiff lawyer stated that the photograph used for the first identification record did not show Akhanlı.

The indictment alleges Akhanlı of membership of the "Turkish People's Liberation Party - Re-Liberation Union People's Liberation Forces" based on the statements taken from Mehmet Fatih Çalışkan and Hamza Kopal. The indictment is furthermore based on the assumption that "İbrahim Yaşar Tutum [who was killed in the robbery] was probably killed by Hamza Kopal and his friends".

International support for Akhanlı

Before the hearing, the German writer Günter Wallraff made an announcement in front of the courthouse in Beşiktaş (Istanbul). "It is an injustice to open this kind of trial against Doğan Akhanlı. I know Akhanlı because he is my friend. I am sure that he is not involved in this sort of incident. I guarantee that".

Wallraff came to Turkey together with a delegation from Germany to observe the trial. He claimed, "Akhanlı is a pacifist like me. He is a quiet and modest person. He was part of projects carried out to come to terms with the past. If his books will be sold better after this trial, at least it would have one positive affect".

Wallraff, renowned for his book "Hitting rock bottom", also mentioned sociologist Pınar Selek who is currently residing in Germany. "Fortunately, she is being protected. We have to show our solidarity for her as well", he said.

Kieser and Hunko: Anti-Turkish and racist groups will be strengthened

Journalist Albrecht Kieser, said before the hearing, "People will try to turn this trial into an anti-Turkish action in Germany. But at the same time, we are people who defend the rights of the immigrants. People must be able to criticize the regime in Turkey. We adamantly refuse to relate the name of such a person to incidents of violence".

Politician Handrej Hunko, Member of Parliament for the German Die Linke Party and member of the Council for Social Affairs of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, referred to racist circles in Germany and Europe that oppose Turkey's accession to the European Union when he indicated, "These groups will gain further strength if this case does not result in Akhanlı's acquittal".

The hearing was observed by delegations of Amnesty International, the German PEN Centre, the German Authors Federation (VS), the Berlin Arts Academy, the Democratic Lawyers Union (VDJ), the Austrian Authors Federation, the Turkey-Germany Culture Forum, the Turkey-Germany Human Rights Association (TÜDAY), the German Committee for Fundamental Rights, the Federal Parliamentary Group of Die Linke ('the left') Party, the German Greens, the Dutch Aktion Sühnezeichen ('Action Reconciliation') Foundation, writer Emin Karaca, President of the Alevi Bektash Federation (ABF) Ali Balkız, Necati Abay from the Solidarity Platform for Detained Jouranlists and journalist Erol Özkoray. (EÖ/VK)