‘We say the same thing even if you put us on trial a thousand times’

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The Taksim Solidarity Platform held an online press conference ahead of the first hearing of the Gezi retrial on May 21, 2021.

Yesterday's conference was also attended by the Chairs of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK), Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and Turkish Medical Association (TTB). The unlawfulness of the trial was emphasized at the conference.

It was underlined that two rulings of acquittal had been given for the same charges before. The platform said, "You can put us on trial a thousand times, what we say will be the same. Solidarity, sharing, labor cannot be put on trial. You defend the darkness, we defend Gezi."

'No ruling other than acquittal would be lawful'

Taking the floor first at the conference, Evren İşler, one of the attorneys of the defendants of the Gezi trial, briefly said:

"While the Gezi Resistance was going on in June 2013, an investigation was launched against several friends of ours. People, including our friends from the Taksim Solidarity, were acquitted in that case. The ruling of the judiciary said that there was not a criminal organization and no crime was committed against the Constitutional order.

"Six years after the Gezi Resistance, new investigations were launched and we were faced with a lawsuit. We are faced with an indictment based on the opinions of the prosecutor and presumptions, even without evidence. In the trial that started with this indictment, the prosecutor's office could not even convince the court which was established specially for this. The court gave a ruling of acquittal and the appeals court overturned it.

"The ruling of the appeals court in the Gezi trial tells us the following: 'OK, you cannot find evidence; look here. If you still cannot find it, look there. Is there still no evidence? There were crimes committed in the period, nothing will come out of there.' In other words, there is an attitude that aims to definitely penalize some people. There is an attempt to proceed with the Gezi file with an indictment that contains no evidence. They can merge the files all they want, it will never be possible to give any other ruling than acquittal as long as this lack of evidence prevails."

'We will keep laying claim to Gezi'

Speaking afterwards, DİSK Chair Arzu Çerkezoğlu emphasized that "Gezi is a democratic struggle." She indicated that "the reason behind the Gezi retrial is an attempt to intimidate."

Defining it as "part of the pressure and oppression", Çerkezoğlu briefly added, "Gezi is a righteous and honorable resistance. Gezi was, in fact, the first major objection to Turkey that they want us to go through today. This identity of Gezi can never be put on trial or smeared. Gezi is a democratic and peaceful process. We will keep on laying claim to Gezi."

'We will never let it be discredited'

Indicating that the Gezi retrial "aims to intimidate society", KESK Co-Chair Aysun Gezen also briefly stated, "There emerges a practice of punishing Gezi by punishing individuals. We will keep on struggling by not letting Gei be punished or be discredited."

'The lawsuit must be against the government'

TTB Central Council Chair Prof. Şebnem Korur-Fincancı said:

"In the Gezi period, we were faced with the police attacks that claimed the lives of people and there was a prime minister who said, 'I gave the order.' If a lawsuit is to be filed, it must be filed against the government. They are the real responsible parties. We need to remember that we do not accept the attacks targeting our lives and democratic rights. We do not accept the one-man regime in the country."

'Demands of Gezi are targeted'

Speaking after Korur-Fincancı, TMMOB Chair Emin Koramaz stated that "the Gezi trial is a case filed against the future of the country."

Noting that "political power holders use the judiciary as a tool to incriminate Gezi", Emin Koramaz emphasized that "in this trial, what is targeted is the demands of Gezi." He said, "Gezi Resistance is a people's movement whose rightfulness has been proven several times both in the eyes of the public and before the courts. We call on the entire public to lay claim to our friends and to the demands of Gezi, which symbolize the future of the country, in the trial that will be held on May 21."

'We know that millions defend Gezi'

Tayfun Kahraman, a defendant of the Gezi trial, also said:

"What is put on trial in our person in the Gezi case is the values and collective spirit created by Gezi. We were put on trial before. The court found us right and ruled for our acquittal.

"We are faced with a process of retrial. The trial over a social movement might be legitimate for the government, but not in society's conscience."

'You can file a thousand suits'

Mücella Yapıcı, another defendant of the case, said:

"You put me on trial for the third time, always with the same indictment. You can put on trial as you wish, Gezi cannot be put on trial, it puts on trial. You claimed the lives of our eight young people with extraordinary violence at a very peaceful, very legitimate protest. You killed one police officer, you took away the eyes, the light of 40 people. You devastated mothers, you gave the murderers of those children such sentences that they were like rewards. What needs to be put on trial is all these."

Noting that "being put on trial again is an honor for them", Yapıcı added: 

"One of the most significant achievements of Gezi was that it destroyed the climate of fear looming over society and broke down the chain of fear. Before the court, I would like to remind you of this:

"If you think that we will be afraid, you are wrong. We do not fear, we do not stay silent; you can put us on trial a thousand times, what we say will be the same. Gezi is this country's honor. We are here."

Hearing on May 21

In the Gezi trial, the 3rd Penal Chamber of the İstanbul Regional Court of Justice, the court of appeals, overturned the verdicts of acquittal given for nine defendants by the İstanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court.

On February 5, the İstanbul 36th Heavy Penal Court ruled that the trial of Osman Kavala on charges of "espionage and coup attempt" should be merged with the file of the Gezi trial. The Gezi trial following this merging of files will begin at the 30th Heavy Penal Court on May 21 at 10 a.m. (HA/SD)