Turgut Kaya is an Turkish revolutionary, who got arrested in April 2018 in Greece. We want to say our internationalist greeting to the comrade and join the demand: Freedom for all political prisoners! Freedom for Turgut Kaya!
In the following we document an English translated statement from the International Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners.
Turgut Kaya, who was arrested by the Greek state in April 2018 on an Interpol search warrant remains in custody. The trail of Kaya’s extradition to Turkey, which took place on May 15th was adjourned without a ruling to May 30th. We demand the immediate release of Turgut Kaya.
Kaya was arrested for the first time by the Turkish state in 1992 for student actions for academic and democratic rights. After two months imprisonment in Bayrampasa prison, he was again arrested in 1994 on charges of membership of an “illegal organization”. During this arrest, it was tried to have him disappear during detention, whilst the Turkish police denied his arrest for over a week. During this kidnapping Kaya was subjected to the most severe torture methods such as the Palestinian hook and electric torture and was subsequently arrested, however was acquitted again.
In 1997, he was once again arrested and tortured under the pretext of membership of an “illegal organization”. After being detained in a prison where also “confessors” were held, he was sent to Bergama prison due to “death threats” from these confessors. In 2000 he was acquitted after three years imprisonment. In 2005, Kaya started working for the newspaper Özgür Gelecek, continuing his responsibilities as the editor, before he was arrested again in 2006 and severely isolated for six more years. A year out of his imprisonment he was subjected to severe isolation where he was not allowed to have any contact with any relatives. During this time, he was again subjected to severe torture, ranging from naked searches to arbitrary beatings to severe disciplinary punishment. Until his release in 2012, he was held under torture and bad conditions in the Type F prison. In April 2015, while being in Greece, he was arrested in a simultaneous operation carried out by five countries, including the Turkish state and was released after 40 days in detention. Three years later, Turgut Kaya was arrested one more time in Greece claiming he was wanted by Interpol.
Freedom for Turgut Kaya
There are no grounds for the arrest of Turgut Kaya who has been in detention since April 2018. The fact that Turgut Kaya, who was sought after by the Turkish state with price money and a red alert, was not acquitted in the first hearing is in contradiction of the international treaties of which Greece is also a signatory of. The Greek state will be held accountable for the certain detention and torture in case Turgut Kaya is extradited to the Turkish state! Since Turkey arrested two Greek soldiers for allegedly illegal border crossing, there is the constant danger of using this for exchanges with revolutionaries. It should be taking into consideration that Turgut Kaya is now also facing this danger.
We call upon all revolutionary and progressive organizations, parties and individuals to be active, to show solidarity and to participate in the protests for the release of Turgut Kaya.
UPOTUDAK- International Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners
