The detention period of People’s Houses Central Executive Committee member Kutay Meriç, DİSK member Yusuf Tüm, DİSK Gıda-İş Trade Union Antalya branch executive Mustafa Aykara and academic Serdar Başçetin has been extended after they were taken into custody on Feb 13
The detention period of People’s Houses Central Executive Committee member Kutay Meriç, DİSK member Yusuf Tüm, DİSK Gıda-İş Trade Union Antalya branch executive Mustafa Aykara and academic Serdar Başçetin has been extended after they were taken into custody on Feb 13
Turkish authorities have extended the period of detention for People’s Houses (Halkevleri) Central Executive Committee member Kutay Meriç, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) member Yusuf Tüm, DİSK/Gıda İş Trade Union Antalya branch executive Mustafa Aykara and academic for peace Serdar Başçetin by a week even though they have yet to meet with a prosecutor.
The four were detained on Feb. 13 due to their opposition to the war in Efrîn (Afrin).
“We have all seen several times that this is a legal disaster; this is proof that there is no law in our country. We have seen it one more time,” People’s Houses Co-Chair Nuri Günay said in a statement in front of the Antalya Courthouse after a number of people had gone to the Antalya Courthouse in the expectation that the detainees would be taken to the prosecutor and then released since the usual period of detention had ended.
“We came to the courthouse to take back our four friends, including People’s Houses Central Executive Committee member Kutay Meriç. According to the information given to our lawyers, our friends will be brought to the prosecutor. However, the police department imposed an extra detention period at the last moment, and the prosecutor agreed. The detention period of our friends has been extended for more seven days. … We will absolutely call them to account for this disgrace and unlawfulness one day. Those who conduct this unlawfulness today will be judged. Our struggle will continue until we achieve a real rule of law and … justice will be established. We are following the case with our deputies and lawyer friends. We will do our best to take our friends out of custody as soon as possible.”
Republican People’s Party (CHP) Antalya Deputy Niyazi Nefi Kara also made a statement in front of the courthouse. “Even though our friends were questioned and they informed us that our friends would be brought here, they imposed an extra detention period on our friends. This was their words: ‘The detention period is seven days,’ they said. As you know, this period was 30 days because of the state of emergency. But this proved that this is not functioning like that. They mean to say ‘stop’ to the leaders of the struggle for rights. However, we will continue the struggle for rights. Whatever they do, they cannot restrain that, the struggle for rights of the People’s Houses will continue. We will wait, and we will follow, but we will call them to account for this when the day comes.”
Günay, Kara, People’s Houses General Secretary Özge Ozan, members from the struggle for housing rights in Ankara’s Mamak and Dikmen neighborhoods, Giritli Park Defenders, students from the Öğrenci Kollektifleri (Student Collectives) and many others had come to the courthouse for solidarity and in the expectation that the four would be released.
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