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Chair of Amnesty International Turkey Taner Kılıç was detained yesterday (June 6) as part of the FETÖ (Fethullahist Terror Organization) investigation.
There are detention warrants for 23 people including Kılıç, who was determined to use FETÖ’s encrypted communication software “ByLock”, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
Kılıç was taken into custody from his home in İzmir at around 6:30 a.m. His home and office were searched. Kılıç is now kept in the police station in İzmir.
“Detention is proof of how far it has gone”
In a statement, Amnesty International Secretary General Salil Shetty said that Taner Kılıç has a long and distinguished record of defending exactly the kind of freedoms that the Turkish authorities are now intent on trampling.
“The fact that Turkey’s post-coup purge has now dragged the Chair of Amnesty International Turkey into its web is further proof of just how far it has gone and just how arbitrary it has become. Taner Kılıç has a long and distinguished record of defending exactly the kind of freedoms that the Turkish authorities are now intent on trampling.
“In the absence of credible and admissible evidence of their involvement in internationally recognized crimes, we are calling on the Turkish authorities to immediately release Taner Kılıç along with the other 22 lawyers, and drop all charges against them.”
About Taner Kılıç
Taner Kılıç has served on the board of Amnesty International Turkey for various periods since 2002 and has been Chair since 2014. During his decades of work for human rights organizations in Turkey he has consistently demonstrated an unswerving commitment to human rights.
Taner Kılıç was detained from his house in Izmir at 6.30 this morning before being taken to his office. Both properties were searched. He is currently in police custody in Yeşilyurt district of Izmir.
At present, Taner Kılıç’s detention does not seem to be connected to any of Amnesty International’s work, nor to be specifically targeting the organization. The detention order refers to an investigation into suspected members of the "Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization". It is currently unclear why Taner Kılıç is suspected of having these links.(NV/TK)
