Lawyers file a criminal complaint about Sedat Peker’s allegations

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Since early May, Sedat Peker, who is charged with leading a criminal organization and currently abroad, has been sharing some videos on YouTube where he has been making serious allegations about the 'mafia-state' relations in Turkey regarding both the past and present.

Amid ongoing debates in Turkey within this context, the Progressive Lawyers Group has announced that they will file a criminal complaint against the people who are mentioned in Sedat Peker's videos.

In a brief statement about the issue, the Group has said, "The criminal complaint that we have prepared is in the attachment. As the subjects of the social struggle, we, as the Progressive Lawyers Group, will file criminal complaints at the prosecutor's offices in every courthouse where we are, starting from Monday (today, June 7), and we will follow up this process."

A few days ago, Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) İstanbul MP Ahmet Şık wrote on Twitter, "I am asking fellow lawyers/ legists: Can you write a petition sample for an investigation into Peker's allegations? We will submit them to the prosecutor's offices as citizens."

Responding to the call of Ahmet Şık, the Progressive Lawyers Group has shared a petition sample for the citizens who want to follow suit.

In the related petition of criminal complaint, an investigation has been requested on the following charges as per the Turkish Penal Code (TCK):

* TCK Article 220 (Establishing an organization to commit crimes)

* TCK Article 81 (Wilful killing)

* TCK Article 94 (Torture)

* TCK Article 102/2-3 (Sexual assault)

* TCK Article 106 (Threat)

* TCK Article 107 (Blackmail)

* TCK Article 188 (Drug trafficking)

* TCK Article 257 (Misconduct in office)

* TCK Article (Provocation to war against the state'

* TCK Article 314 (Establishing and being a member of an armed criminal organization)

* TCK Article 315 (Providing arms to the organization)

In the petition addressed to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, an investigation has been requested against the following people:

Sedat Peker, against whom a warrant has been issued on charge of leading a criminal organization; former Director General of Security and former Minister of Interior Mehmet Ağar; current Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu; retired soldier and special operations officer Korkut Eken; Mehmet Ağar's son and Elazığ MP for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Tolga Ağar; the executives of the International Defense Consulting Construction Industry and Trade Inc. (SADAT); and Sedat Peker's brother Atilla Peker, who deposed last week over the assassination of journalist Kutlu Adalı in Northern Cyprus in1996.

The petition has requested that an investigation be launched into the videos posted by Sedat Peker and other identified crimes. (AS/SD)

* Click here for the full criminal complaint (in Turkish)