Turkish academic jailed for 81 days for alleged PKK ties sent home

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Turkish Professor Tuna Altinel who has worked as a teacher in Europe was released on Tuesday following his first trial after 81 days in prison for terror-related charges. He denied any links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in his defense.  

Altinel, who teaches at Claude Bernard University Lyon 1 in France, was arrested on May 11 after arriving in Turkey to attend his hearing as part of a case against a number of academics who signed a peace declaration in 2016, calling on the Turkish state to halt military operations in Kurdish areas. 

“We will not be part of this crime” was their slogan. 

The court ruled that the professor is released without judicial control and he can choose not to appear in court for the next hearing. It was not immediately clear if he will be allowed to leave Turkey.

The 53-year-old professor who is a native of Istanbul had been charged with “propagating for terror organization.” That was later changed to “membership in a terror organization.” 

The prosecutor charges he provided interpretation for a lawmaker of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) at a conference in France in February 2019 on ‘Cizre Basements’ the reported killing of around 160 people in the Kurdish city of Cizre by Turkish forces during PKK-Turkey clashes in 2015.  

Altinel testified to the court and denied any ties with the PKK on Monday, adding that his membership of the European-based Lyon and Rhone-Alpes Kurdish Friendship Association (ALKRA) does not mean he is a member of the PKK, reported pro-opposition Bianet. 

"The ALKRA is a legal association that was founded in line with the laws of France. It was founded in 2013 by Thierry Lambert, a French national citizen of France and the current chairperson and his friends. All its board members are French," he said.

Peace Academics group — which supports those signatories who now face charges for the declaration — confirmed in a tweet that “Our teacher, Tuna, is free!” 

The trial took place in Balikesir Province in the northwest of Turkey. A group of lawyers, journalists, lawmakers and professors gathered in front of the court to show their support for the professor.

There were also demonstrators in France who held placards reading slogans like "Free Tuna Altinel" on Tuesday. 

Altinel thanked all those who showed solidarity with him following his release from jail. 

His lawyer, Meric Eyuboglu, told journalists that her “client has been in prison for 81 days arbitrarily,” and questioned why he has been held so long. 

However, she expressed her happiness with the court’s decision, vowing to fight until her client is granted full freedom as another trial is set for November 19.

PKK and Turkey declared a short-lived ceasefire in 2013 after decades of clashes. The pause ended in late 2015 and some Kurdish groups, supported by the PKK, claimed control over some predominately-Kurdish areas in Turkey, prompting Ankara to launch counter operations.

The battle forced thousands of people to flee to other cities where they experienced constant security curfews imposed by Turkish security forces. 

Both sides have continues clashes, resulting in the death of an estimated 4,472 people since the end of peace process or the ceasefire in July 2015, according to International Crisis Group (ICG) report which was last updated on July 2.

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