Protesting to get her job back, Nazan Bozkurt released

Click to read the article in Turkish

Having protested "to get her job back" in the Yüksel Street in the capital city of Ankara and arrested on August 22, 2020 on the grounds that "she continued protesting intensively despite previous judicial control measures", Nazan Bozkurt has been released.

CLICK - 'Not guilty' in one investigation, arrested in another

At the hearing held by the Ankara 28th Heavy Penal Court today (April 4), the court ruled that protesters Alev Şahin and Mehmet Dersulu, who have been arrested pending trial, should remain behind bars.

Defendants Mehmet Dersulu, Armağan Özbaş, Acun Karadağ, Nazan Bozkurt, Mahmut Konuk and Alev Şahin, protesting in Düzce, were arrested on August 22, 2020. Armağan Özbaş and Mahmut Konuç were released at the first hearing. Karadağ was also released on January 27.

Architect Alev Şahin is held in a prison in Kayseri and Mehmet Dersulu is held in a prison in Bolu province.

What happened?

Nazan Bozkurt was dismissed from public service at the Civil Registry by the Statutory Decree no. 683 published in the Official Gazette no. 29957 dated January 23, 2017 amid the State of Emergency declared in Turkey after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

After she was discharged from public service, Nazan Bozkurt joined the "I want my job back" protests in Yüksek Street in Ankara. Expressing her objections in a legal way, she also objected to her discharge at the State of Emergency Commission and requested her reinstatement.

CLICK - 'I won't stay at home, of course not'

As for the Commission, it has concluded that her discharge was rightful. In giving this decision, the commission referred to her protests after being discharged and the investigations launched into these protests.

CLICK - 'Back to the Future' Decision by the Commission

In the decision of the commission, the investigation launched against Bozkurt 2 years after she was discharged was cited as a justification: "...According to the information obtained from the National Judiciary Informatics System (UYAP), the investigation against the applicant dated 2019/104828 conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on charge of being a member of an armed terrorist organization is still ongoing..."

Within this context, the Commission also referred to the files of the investigation and lawsuits against Bozkurt on charge of "membership of a terrorist organization" and alleged that "the information and documents in these files as well as other findings in the inquiry section revealed her connection with the DHKP/C* terrorist organization."

Nazan Bozkurt is standing trial as part of another lawsuit launched against her over his protests in the Yüksel Street.

She will have her first hearing tomorrow (December 9). (AS/SD)

*Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)