Kurdish filmmaker Kerem Tekoğlu, known for his works such as Şeva Reş (The Black Night), Qulinge Bırindar (The Wounded Crane), and Dîno, was arrested on Dec 16 on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization."
One of the key accusations cited in Tekoğlu’s arrest is his purported “ongoing and frequent contact” with Ahmet Özer, the ousted mayor of the Esenyurt district in İstanbul, who was arrested in late October on similar charges.
Lawyer: Charges lack legal basis
Tekoğlu’s lawyer, Suphi Özgen, dismissed the allegations as baseless, arguing that the accusations stem from Tekoğlu’s professional activities as a filmmaker. Özgen told bianet that the charges largely revolved around interactions related to artistic and literary projects.
“One of the claims involves a conversation my client had with Ahmet Özer in 2021, which was not frequent or ongoing,” Özgen said. “At the time, Tekoğlu was exploring the possibility of turning a book authored by Özer about İhsan Aksoy into a documentary. These allegations are entirely tied to their respective professional activities.”
Professional activities
Özgen also criticized the authorities for using social media posts as evidence against Tekoğlu. “A birthday post in which Tekoğlu shared the phrase ‘Rojbûna te pîroz be’ [Happy Birthday in Kurdish], alongside images of flowers and traditional Kurdish colors, was included in the case file. This shows a deliberate misinterpretation of his social media activity, taken out of context.”
The lawyer further argued that Tekoğlu’s interactions with Özer were being misrepresented. “Reports prepared by the police were forwarded to the prosecutor and used as grounds for arrest without any substantial legal review. For a filmmaker to have contact with someone like Özer is entirely normal, especially when the discussions relate to professional and creative endeavors,” Özgen noted.
About Kerem Tekoğlu
Born in 1984 in the village of Cano in Silvan, Diyarbakır, Tekoğlu’s education was disrupted due to political circumstances. At 15, he migrated to İstanbul, where he began studying and later teaching theater.
Tekoğlu has contributed to 11 art institutions, directed 15 documentaries and two short films, and worked as a radio and television producer. He is also an author, with a portfolio of 27 books, including children’s literature, poetry, novels, and short stories. A member of Kurdish PEN, Tekoğlu has been an advocate for Kurdish arts and culture throughout his career.
Tekoğlu’s arrest follows the detention of Ahmet Özer, the mayor of Esenyurt, on Oct 30. Özer, a member of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), is accused of “organization membership in a terrorist organization,” with past interactions during Turkey’s peace process cited as evidence.
(TY/VK)