Turkey orders release of Amnesty International chief
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Amnesty International’s chair in Turkey was ordered released on Wednesday after being held on terror-related charges.
"It is an enormous relief that Taner will soon be back with his wife and daughters, sleeping in his own bed for the first time in almost eight months," said Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty's Europe director, AFP reported.
The court has not yet issued a verdict in Kilic's case. Future hearings will take place.
Taner Kilic and 10 of his colleagues were detained on suspicion of being members of terror groups in July 2017 after a police raid on a human rights workshop on Buyukada, an island near Istanbul.
They were accused of having ties to two organizations – Fetullah Gulen's movement and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Ankara alleges Fethullah Gullen was responsible for the 2016 coup, while PKK considered a terrorist group by Turkey has waged a three-decades-long guerrilla war against the Turkish government.
The court in Turkey ordered the release of eight human rights activists last year and two others were let go on bail.
"From the moment of their detentions, it has been clear that these are politically motivated prosecutions aimed at silencing critical voices within Turkey," Amnesty's Europe Director John Dalhuisen had said.
"It is an enormous relief that Taner will soon be back with his wife and daughters, sleeping in his own bed for the first time in almost eight months," said Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty's Europe director, AFP reported.
The court has not yet issued a verdict in Kilic's case. Future hearings will take place.
They were accused of having ties to two organizations – Fetullah Gulen's movement and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Ankara alleges Fethullah Gullen was responsible for the 2016 coup, while PKK considered a terrorist group by Turkey has waged a three-decades-long guerrilla war against the Turkish government.
The court in Turkey ordered the release of eight human rights activists last year and two others were let go on bail.
"From the moment of their detentions, it has been clear that these are politically motivated prosecutions aimed at silencing critical voices within Turkey," Amnesty's Europe Director John Dalhuisen had said.
Updated at 9:58 pm