Statement by Spokesperson for EU Commission on Osman Kavala

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Spokesperson for the European Commission Maja Kocijancic has spoken on business person Osman Kavala, who has been in detention on remand, in the statement she made about the eight rights defenders who were released today (October 26).

Remarking that presumption of innocence hasn’t been minded during Kavala’s detention process, Kocijancic demanded that Turkey continue the legal proceedings in line with Geneva Convention.

Kavala has been kept in custody for seven days at İstanbul Security Directorate Anti-Terror Bureau.

“We expect more positive steps from Turkey”

Kocijancic described release of the eights rights defenders, who remained behind bars for 113 days, as a promising development.

However, stressing that detentions of a large number of journalists, academics, rights defenders, and other NGO member activists still continue, Kocijancic said that they expect Turkey to take more positive steps in the fields of human rights and freedom of expression.

What happened?

Osman Kavala was taken into custody in the evening hours on October 18 at İstanbul Atatürk Airport on his return from a meeting of a project planned to be realized in cooperation with Goethe Institute in Antep.

CLICK - 7-Day Detention for Osman Kavala

Police seized Kavala and his secretary's computer at Anadolu Kültür.

No information has been provided as to what Kavala is charged with.

Erdoğan called Kavala “Soros of Turkey”

Referring to Kavala as “Soros of Turkey”, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan without mentioning his name said:

“Some try to deflect the truth by means of praises attributed to him such as ‘He was a good citizen, a media member, an NGO representative.

“Identity of this figure called ‘Soros of Turkey’ has been uncovered. That was his name that came up in Consulate General [investigation]. All connections have surfaced.

“And there is the same person behind the incidents in Taksim. You see those people again behind funds transfer to certain places. Who are you trying to fool?” (TP/TK)