Private Utku Kalı Released For Pending Trial

Samsun 3rd High Criminal Court held the second hearing of Utku Kalı case where the defendant is charged with “leaking top secret documents” regarding Reyhanlı blasts. Kalı has been released pending a trial. 

The hearing began around 2 pm local time with the announcement of indictment. Unlike the first hearing, defendant Kalı was present in the courtroom and made his defense. 

He spoke from his chair due to his health condition. According to various news sources, he said the following:

“I was responsible at the communication center. The day after the aforementioned messages were sent, two civil-dressed individuals arrived to the headquarters in the evening. They greeted the commandant the soldier way and asked for the messages. I handed out the messages after the commandant’s order.

“Following that, there was a search in the headquarters. They only found my cell phone and I was arrested. Before my military service, I was working at a GSM firm as communications technician. If I leaked those files, I wouldn’t keep them on my phone. I would throw them away, even cast them to the bathroom closet. My phone was used by my friends. Some other people might be behind this.”

Defendant attorneys Ceren Kalı - Kalı’s advocate and sister - and Özgür Urfa also performed their defenses and requested the release of their client. After the prosecutor’s opinion, the court ordered the release of Kalı pending a trial around 9 pm local time.

What happened?

Utku Kalı, a private on compulsory drafting serving in a prison headquarters under Gendarmerie in the northern province of Amasya, has been arrested on May 24 for “leaking top secret documents” regarding Reyhanlı blasts. He is currently jailed in a military prison in Sivas province.

Advocate Ceren Kalı cited some of the procedures that Utku Kalı went through as follows: 

“Transfer to attorney meetings in handcuffs, pressures, torture by stripped search, charges related to what he said during a nervous breakdown, order for testimony as he got up late in the morning. We see a purpose behind these treatments.” 

On August 15, the military court declared itself as off-duty, sending the case to Samsun 3rd High Criminal Court. 

Currently jailed in Sivas Military Prison, Kalı has been charged with crimes against state, “leaking top-secret documents” and “disclosing documents regarding the security and policies of the state”, facing up to 25 years of prison. (AS/BM) 

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.