‘I hope they will also be free’

Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor, Ahmet Türk, who was remanded in custody on 24 November, has walked free after 72 days. Ahmet Türk, having been released from Elazığ Prison the evening before last and arrived at his home in Mardin at midnight, has spoken to Cumhuriyet. Türk said that he communicated and shared greetings with Cumhuriyet’s columnists and managers who are being held on reman

Mahmut Oral

Released Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor, Ahmet Türk, has said, ‘I hope that our friends from Cumhuriyet newspaper will also be free in the very near future. I hope that everybody in Turkey who is still in prison deprived of their freedom in an unjust and unlawful manner will also be free.’

Ahmet Türk, who was removed from his post by the interior ministry on 17 November, arrested on 21 November and remanded in custody on 24 November, has walked free after 72 days thanks to an application made by his lawyers to Mardin Penal Bench of the Peace. The court imposed a ban on foreign travel and bail conditions on Ahmet Turk. This means that Ahmet Türk will report to sign at a police station three times per week. Ahmet Türk, having been released from Elazığ Prison the evening before last and arrived at his home in Mardin at midnight, has spoken to Cumhuriyet.

 

I will defend the parliamentary system

Türk, assessing the constitutional change that is to be taken to referendum, said, ‘I have served as a member of parliament for six terms. I have defended the democratic parliamentary system for my entire political life, and I will continue to do so hereafter. I believe that the problems in Turkey will be solved under the democratic parliamentary system. The whole issue over the referendum is actually people going to the ballot box, heading to vote, of their free will. All my concerns stem from this. There is of course no need to ask about the colour of my vote regarding the referendum. I have been in politics for years and I have a political stance and beliefs. I hold the same thoughts today and I will act in keeping with my political thoughts.’

We exchanged greetings

Türk, indicating that at the time he was held in Silivri Prison he communicated and shared greetings with our paper’s columnists, cartoonist and managers including General Publishing Director Murat Sabuncu and our paper’s Executive Board Chair Akın Atalay, Attorney-at-Law, said, ‘I hope that our friends from Cumhuriyet newspaper will also be free in the very near future. I hope that everybody in Turkey who is still in prison deprived of their freedom in an unjust and unlawful manner will also be free.’

Restrictions are in place

Türk, noting that he is in good health, commented, ‘There was a lot of public discussion about my health problems. There are a few difficulties and problems just now, but I am in pretty good shape.’ Türk, stating no ill treatment was directed at him in prison, had the following to say about the photographs taken when he was being led to hospital in Elazığ that provoked a lot of public discussion: ‘There was no ill treatment directed at me personally in prison. But certain restrictions are in place. Particularly when I was in Silivri, I observed restrictions being applied to the friends at Cumhuriyet newspaper. Restrictions are also in place on our HDP MP friends. They were being held in solitary confinement. I was held together with another person in view of the health problems I experience, but they were in solitary confinement. In Elazığ, actually, in all honesty, they acted politely while bringing me to and back from hospital. Of course, there was snow on the ground when they were leading me off to go to hospital and they took me by the arms so that I wouldn’t slip and fall. But, in general, they treated me well.’

Visit from the HDP

HDP Parliamentary Group Vice Chair and Diyarbakır MP İdris Baluken, who was released from Kandıra Prison six days ago, DBP Co-chair Kamuran Yüksek, Central Executive Board members and a group of HDP MPs came to Mardin yesterday and will visit Ahmet Türk at his home. Following the visit, Türk, Baluken and Yüksek will make a joint press statement.