German institutions criticize TRT for the series defaming Osman Kavala

Click to read the article in Turkish

Media outlets and PEN organizations in Germany have denounced TRT, Turkey's public broadcaster for the series that defames Osman Kavala, a prominent businessperson and human rights advocate who has been imprisoned for nearly six years, with accusations including organizing the Gezi Park protests in 2013. 

The Turkey-Germany Culture Form, the Academy of Fine Arts (Akademie der Künste), Reporters Without Borders, PEN Berlin and PEN Germany issued the joint statement criticizing TRT for the series called Metamorfoz targeting Osman Kavala being broadcast on the international digital platform that has been established and financed by the public broadcaster. 

"The series of TRT aiming at defaming and accusing Osman Kavala who is a supporter of culture and an intellectual is a source of grave concern for us. This is being done although Kavala has been sentenced to life imprisonment unlawfully with unfounded accusations."

Kavala's verdict is neither final nor legitimate

The prominent culture and art institutions of Germany that made the joint statement underlined that the verdict, not yet final, was not found legitimate by Germany or by the international community, and said, "The European Court of Human Rights have many times requested the Turkish government to release Osman Kavala and other political prisoners such as Selahattin Demirtaş." 

The statement also cited Osman Kavala's own words about the TRT series in question. 

Osman Kavala has said, in relation to the series, "I learned that a scenario written about me was financed by TRT and broadcast as a series. They have made a trick and not used my name openly, in order to escape the laws on protecting people's reputation." 

"Just as in the indictment used in order to keep me in prison unlawfully, the real events are being distorted in this series, too. They are trying to portray me as guilty using conspiracy theories. I did not find it strange that they have used public money for this purpose, but what surprised me and made me sorry was that young artists did not have any trouble with being part of this character assassination project." (GK/AEK/PE)