Intellectuals Stand for Pinar Selek
On wednesday, several intellectuals held a press conference and a support night for Pinar Selek who will face a forth trial for life sentence on December 13 , charged with involving in the 1998 Spice Bazaar bombing.
Akın Atalay, Selek's attorney, made a presentation covering the 14-year long prosecution history of Pinar Selek case.
"For the past 46 years, trials were always rescheduled to next 3-4 months. In our case, it will exceptionally be held 21 days after the previous trial. The judge will still be on his medical leave, so the adjoins judges might hurry for a verdict. At this point, I don't trust the Turkish law system anymore. I think they will try to convey a message through giving Selek a life sentence," Atalay said in his presentation.
The support night moderator Karin Karakaşlı said she viewed Selek's trial as a side product of Turkey's postmodern military coup in 1998.
"Let's act together for the December 13 trial. For the first time in my life, I heard Selek really wanted to return to Turkey. We should do whatever it takes to make her return to Turkey. I believe that the definition of justice is to make her live freely. This is not only about her but for all of us," Karakaşlı said.
Zeynep Direk, professor of philosophy and women rights activist, underlined the fact that science, art and life conditions could only be improved in politically and juridically stable environments.
"It wasn't only about the Islamists in the post modern military coup in 1998. The Turkish state also planned to isolate individuals like Pinar Selek from the society. Selek always desired to communicate with the stately rejected factions of the society. She was a genuine antimilitarist and feminist. She always opposed violence. In that sense, Selek is struggling with the postmodern coup of 1998.”
Several intellectuals, professors, journalists and human rights activists from around the world attended the support night. Some notable names were: Ali Bayramoğlu, Şanar Yurdatapan, Rober Koptaş, Ufuk Uras, Ferhat Kentel, Zeynep Tanbay, Ayşenur Arslan, Betül Tanbay, Erol Katırcıoğlu, Garo Paylan, Haldun Gülalp, Orhan Alkaya, Rojin Akın, İpek Çalışlar, Ceyda Karan, Nadire Mater, Çiğdem Mater, Roni Margulies, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Ümit İzmen, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Nesrin Uçarlar, Elif Key, Füsun Üstel, Neşe Özgen, PEN International members, FİDH representatives. (ÇT)