Karaca’s lawyers to ask Constitutional Court to reverse detention order

The Samanyolu TV network's general manager Hidayet Karaca (Photo: Cihan)
The Samanyolu TV network's general manager Hidayet Karaca (Photo: Cihan)


Date posted: January 1, 2015

Lawyers for Samanyolu Broadcasting Group General Manager Hidayet Karaca, who was arrested after government-initiated operations targeting the managers of the Zaman and Samanyolu media outlets on Dec. 14, are preparing to file an appeal with the Constitutional Court to overturn the decision to detain Karaca on Tuesday.

Speaking to Today’s Zaman regarding the planned appeal to the top court, one of Karaca’s lawyers, Fikret Duran, stated that since the Penal Courts of Peace consecutively rejected appeals seeking Karaca’s release, the right to file an appeal with the Constitutional Court to reverse the local court’s verdict became possible.

Stressing that there is no hope remaining that the local courts will release Karaca, Duran said a verdict by a Penal Court of Peace can only be reversed by another Penal Court of Peace, leaving no hope for the release of those arrested. Moreover, he said the demands for release are not handled properly and that the court rejects them without providing sufficient reasons.

“According to Article 19 of the Constitution, there should be solid evidence and strong suspicion proving that the suspects were involved in the alleged offense. Though the recent amendment to the law concerning the arrest of people on the basis of reasonable suspicion is a fact, Article 19 of the Constitution bans anyone from being put in jail based on reasonable suspicion,” Duran added.

Karaca was detained on Dec. 14 along with dozens of journalists, scriptwriters and police officials, including the editor-in-chief of the best-selling Zaman daily, Ekrem Dumanlı, on Dec. 14 over charges of heading a terrorist group based on a TV series that was broadcast years ago on the Samanyolu TV channel.

The İstanbul 1st Criminal Court of Peace on Dec. 19 ruled for the arrest of Karaca and three former police officers. Karaca refused to defend himself before the court as he viewed the court as lacking impartiality and independence.

Fifteen other people, including scriptwriters, were released by the prosecution after being initially detained in the Dec. 14 crackdown on the media.

Source: Today's Zaman , January 01, 2015

Tags: | | | |


Related News

US House Intel Chair Says ‘Hard To Believe’ Gulen Behind Turkey Coup

The United State House Intelligence Committee chairman has said it is “hard to believe” that U.S.-based Turkish cleric is behind the military coup attempt last summer, questioning Turkey as a reliable ally.

Group of activists walking across Europe raises 40,000 euros for Turkish refugees in Greece

A group of activists from the UK raised 40,000 euros for needy Turkish nationals who have landed in Greece as refugees in the face of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s post-coup witch-hunt.

‘Who do you like most, Erdoğan or Gülen?’ Turkish teacher asks primary school students

A religious culture and moral knowledge teacher at a Turkish primary school has asked students about their preference between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, parents complain. Evrensel daily quoted parents as saying that students aging between 9 to 10, become cold of religious culture courses and prefer not to attend in classes amid similar incidents.

Slandering Turkish schools is treason according to well-known politician

In an interview with the Cihan news agency, Durak showed reaction to Erdoğan’s order to the ambassadors and he visited some of the Turkish schools in foreign countries. “Children of prime ministers and presidents and high-level bureaucrats are sent to these schools opened in Africa and many parts of the world… Many significant people are given education in these schools. I am of the opinion denouncing these schools to the ambassadors instead of supporting them is equal to treason,” said Durak.

Hizmet-affiliated educational institutions succeed in TEOG exam

The results of the Transition from Primary to Secondary Education (TEOG) exam that was administered on Nov. 26-27 and Dec. 13-14 to eighth graders across Turkey show that students who prepared for the exam in Hizmet movement-affiliated schools did better than those who studied in other institutions.

Frontal assault on free enterprise in Turkey: The case of prep-schools

Erdoğan fired a warning shot across the bow of the Hizmet movement, which operates some one-third of the more than 3,500 prep schools, hoping that the movement would fold under the pressure and shy away from criticizing the government on lingering corruption, the lack of bold reforms, the stalled EU membership process, the failed constitutional work, its intrusion in people’s ways of life and privacy, blunders in foreign policy and the weakened transparency and accountability in governance.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Kimse Yok Mu working to resolve water problem in Africa

Orphanage school principal: Accusing Kimse Yok Mu of terror endangers Kyrgyz orphans

Lawyer put behind bars along with 3-month-old baby

In new incursion, Turkey orchestrates rushed extraditions from Kosovo

Row between Turkish government and Gulen Movement takes new twist

Erdogan plotted Turkey purge before coup, say Brussels spies

34 housewives arrested over Gülen links in İstanbul

Copyright 2024 Insightful Neighbor