Court Insists on Detentions

The third hearing of the "Revolutionary Headquarters" trial held before the Istanbul 9^th High Criminal Court on Tuesday (7 December) did not bring any further releases. Ten of the 15 defendants had been released pending trial at the first hearing of the case, another two defendants at the second hearing.

The illegal "Revolutionary Headquarters" organizaiton assumed responsibility for an explosion at the Istanbul building of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on 1 December 2008 which left ten people injured.

Journalist Aylin Duruoğlu, electrical engineer Mehmet Yeşiltepe, fishery engineer Ceren Sütlaş, ship operator Selim Öztürk, lawyer Nail Arıkan, news editor Abdülselam Sultan, cameraman Muhammet Çetin, cinema and TV productions supervisor Melek Seven, courier İbrahim Şimşek and advertisement editor Metin Akdemir were released at the first hearing on 23 February. They had been taken into custody subsequent to a police operation carried out in Bostancı, a district on Istanbul's Asian side, on 27April 2009 that caused the death of Revolutionary Headquarters member Orhan Yılmazkaya, a policeman and one civilian.

Defendants Gökhan Aydın and Melek Seven were released on 29 June 2010. Defendant Cemal Bozkurt stated in the hearing, "The Revolutionary Headquarters organization bombarded the Üsküdar (Istanbul) Selimiye Military Post with its revolutionary spirit".

Judge Alp commented on Öztürk's detention

Judge Yılmaz Alp from the court board added a commentary to the court's decision regarding the continued detention of Captain Necdet Öztürk. He had let his flat to Yılmazkaya. When Öztürk returned to Turkey after the operation he applied to the police himself in order to give his statement. Judge Alp commented that Öztürk "had no knowledge about Yılmazkaya's organizational activities and was just doing him a favour". The court furthermore declined the requested release of customs savings officer Ergin Öncü. The trial was postponed to 12 April 2011.

The defendants remaining in detention are Ergin Öncü, Cemal Bozkurt, Necdet Öztürk, Özgür Dinçer and Fatih Aydın. Three of them are being held responsible for the bomb attack on the AKP district building.

The hearing was observed by Barbara Neppert from the German Branch of Amnesty International (AI), journalist Ertuğrul Kürkçü, human rights advocator Haluk Ağabeyoğlu, Sevda Öncü, sister of defendant Ergin Öncü and writer Mustafa Sütlaş as the father of defendant Ceren Sütlaş who was released pending trial in the first hearing after ten months in detention.

Sevda Öncü made a statement to the journalists and claimed that her brother Ergin Öncü was detained unjustly.

Defendant Öncü dismissed from customs office

"It was alleged that [Ergin Öncü] was on a photograph together with Yılmazkaya. It became clear that the person on the picture was not Yılmazkaya. [Öncü] is accused of intervening in the issues of another accused person. He is accused of carrying an unlicensed weapon. Yet, the weapon was a stereotype weapon given to him by the Customs Presidency for his duty. We presented the evidence to court but they refused to release him", Sevda Öncü said.

Meanwhile it was learned that Ergin Öncü's position as a customs savings officer was terminated on 7 December 2010.

Aydın, Bozkurt, Dinçer and Şimşek are each facing two-count aggravated life sentences on charges of "disrupting the unity of the state and the integrity of the country" and "premeditated murder". Moreover, they are facing various prison sentences of between nine months and 300 years on other charges.

Defendants Yeşiltepe, Öncü, Sultan, Çetin, Anıl, Sütlaş, Akdemir, Arıkan, Seven, Mustafa Aşula, Necdet Öztürk and Sevim Öztürk are each facing prison terms of between 7.5 and 36 years. Duruoğlu is facing between 7.5 and 15 years in jail on charges of "membership of an illegal organization". (EÖ/VK)