Presiding Judge: You Are an Academic and Know Everything, Don’t You Remember It?

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Trial of academics, who have been charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" for having signed the declaration entitled "We will not be a party to this crime" prepared by the Academics for Peace, continued in İstanbul Çağlayan Courthouse yesterday (December 20).

Seven academics had their hearings at five separate courts:

At the İstanbul 29th Heavy Penal Court: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmet Altınel from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (MSGSÜ) had his second hearing.

At the İstanbul 32nd Heavy Penal Court: Research Assistant Gülay Kılıçaslan from Yıldız Technical University (YTÜ) had her third hearing; Research Assistant Ömer Çelebi had his second hearing.

At the İstanbul 26th Heavy Penal Court: Dr. Lecturer Bayram Güneş had his first hearing.

At the İstanbul 25th Heavy Penal Court: Dr. Lecturer Alper Akyüz and Dr. M.A. from İstanbul Bilgi University had their second hearings.

At the İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court: Dr. Lecturer Murat Koyuncu from Boğaziçi University had his third hearing.

At the İstanbul 28th Heavy Penal Court: Dr. Baran Alp Uncu from Marmara University had his second hearing.

1 academic sentenced to prison

Academic Baran Alp Uncu has been sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" as per the Article no. 7/2 of the  Anti-Terror Law. 

The pronouncement of the verdict has been suspended.

Additional statements of defense requested

While presenting his statement of defense, academic Alper Akyüz was interrupted by Presiding Judge of the İstanbul 25th Heavy Penal Court for three times. Concluding his defense, Akyüz was also threatened by the judge with "cutting short his defense."

The court board also requested additional statements of defense from two academics "in regard to the possibility of implementing the Article 314/2 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), the Article 5/1 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK) and the Article 220/7 of the TCK" relating to the offense of "aiding a terrorist organization."

Academic interrupted by judge for three times

At the 25th Heavy Penal Court, Presiding Judge interrupted the defense of academic Alper Akyüz for three times to ask him questions.

While Akyüz was reading out the judiciary-related part of his defense, judge asked Akyüz, "Whom are you saying these? Do you know us? Don't you come here for the first time?"

Continuing his defense, Akyüz was interrupted for the second time by the judge, who said, "Conclude your defense; or else; I will cut it short. You cannot teach us a lesson on judgeship."

To Akyüz, who stated that he was about to read the last paragraph of his defense, the judge said, "You cannot read it if it is about us." After Akyüz stated, "You cannot intervene in my defense", the judge answered: "Have we given a judgement about you? What prejudice are you talking about?"

The judge continued interrupting Akyüz's defense by saying, "Do your students come to you and tell you how who should teach your lessons?"

Judge didn't write his question in minutes "verbatim"

After the defense, Presiding Judge asked Akyüz where he saw the declaration, by whom it was sent, how it was signed, whether he heard the statement of a person named Bese Hozat and whether he knew the existing state and conditions in Turkey when he signed the declaration.

Presiding Judge: Have you heard that PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) declared autonomy?

Akyüz: I knew it supported autonomy, I don't remember that it declared it.

Presiding Judge: You are an academic, you know and have done research on everything. Don't you remember it? What else can a state do in the face of a terrorist organization that declared autonomy in some part of the country? What do you think?

(The last statement of the judge was written in minutes as follows: "What do you think about the ways a state has to follow in the face of a terrorist organization that declared autonomy in some part of the country?")

Upon the objection of the attorneys, the judge called security personnel to the courtroom and raised his voice by saying, "No one should stand up unless I give a word. I am talking to him (the defendant)."

Presiding Judge: Do you feel remorse?

Lastly, Presiding Judge asked Akyüz, "Do you feel remorse?", to which Akyüz answered, "I don't want to answer this question."

His attorney Serdar Laçin requested that Alper Akyüz be immediately acquitted, a permission of investigation as per the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code be granted by the Ministry of Justice and the cases be combined. The court board rejected all requests raised by the attorney.

Granting additional time to prepare their additional statements of defense, the court board ruled that the next hearing shall be held on January 10.

(TP/SD)