Postager.com Writer Imprisoned since Sunday
After one night in custody of the Kasımpaşa (Istanbul) Police Station, İsmail Yıldız, writer of the Turkish news portal postager.com, has been taken into detention by a court decision on 3 January. Yıldız had been arrested when he followed up clashes in the Istanbul district of Dolapdere.
Yıldız was brought to the Beyoğlu Court House. The internet writer was taken into detention because of his refusal to give a statement in the trial regarding a raid on recently closed Democratic Society Party (DTP) and other institutions conducted by the Adana police on 15 August 2008.
İsmail Yıldız will testify
Yıldız is currently detained in the Istanbul Metris Prison. After his statement in today's hearing (5 January) he will either be released or taken to the city of Adana in the eastern Mediterranean.
Working as a journalist for Dicle News Agency (DİHA), Yıldız was taken into custody by the Adana Police Directorate Anti-Terrorism Branch on 15 August 2008. He was one of 63 people being tried by the prosecution under allegations of carrying out activities in the name of "City Councils" on behalf of the Kurdistan Communities Confederation (KCK). The KCK is an umbrella organization which also includes the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The same indictment involves also Viranşehir Mayor Leyla Güven, former Yakapınar Mayor Burhan Aras, DTP Adana Provincial Chairman Mehmet Zeki Karataş and DTP Yüreğir and Seyhan district chairmen.
Indictment includes accusations against Turkish writers
DİHA reported that the indictment was based on an e-mail sent by informant T.B. According to the news agency, the following books mentioned in the indictment were assessed as "publications in line with terrorist organizations": "The rose on the eastern side of your face" by Ahmet Telli, "If I die they will look for me with you" and "Explain to me" by Cezmi Ersöz, "My longing wore out the shackles" by Ahmet Arif, "The plea of Tigris" and "Dengbêjlerim" by Mehmet Uzun and "The story of the unsolved murder of a member of parliament" by Aydın Bolkan.
Gündem, Alternatif and Azadiya Welat mentioned as "illegal publications"
In addition, the book "Begê Dimiliyan", which deals with the topic of the Zaza culture, the book "The little generals of Apê Musa", Gündem and Alternatif newspapers and Azadiya Welat newspaper, the latter publishing in Kurdish, are quoted in the indictment as "illegal publications".
Furthermore, petitions sent to the Turkish National Assembly Human Rights Commission and to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture are included in the indictment as evidence. The petitions were related to the demand of improving imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's health conditions and contained a CD with footage from the DTP Public Council meetings held in November 2007 and May 2008 and from the DTP 2nd Ordinary General Assembly. (EÖ/VK)