Reactions Against Detention Warrant for Osman Kavala

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Shortly after the İstanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court ruled for the acquittal and release of Osman Kavala, the only arrested defendant of Gezi trial, yesterday (Februayr 18), İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has announced that it has issued a detention warrant against him as part of an investigation launched into the July 15 coup attempt in 2016.

Some reactions against the warrant were as follows:

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP - journalist Ahmet Şık

"Mr. Kavala was a valuable hostage for Erdoğan in terms of the relations between this state, this cause, especially this government and the West. If his verdict of acquittal had been finalized, then you would have to ask 'Against what ransom has the Erdoğan regime had this decision taken?' I had been asking this since the verdict was announced. I had no answer.

"But it seems that - for now - there is a departure from this verdict of acquittal not given despite Erdoğan, from this verdict given despite the organization called 'Pelikan' within the judiciary. It is also a good sign as to the dimension of the fracture and conflict on the government through judiciary.

"I will stick to my opinion that the course of events is not in favor of the government. Nobody should lose hope, this mafia regime cannot live up to the end of 2020."

* Şık has spoken to Adil Ergin Bağcı from T24

Defendant of Gezi Trial Mücella Yapıcı

"Yet another oddity of law... First, you associated him with Gezi in an irrelevant and unlawful way... And now July 15... Who will believe that? Who is the new Papuç, I wonder? What a pity for this country..."

Journalist Kadri Gürsel

"They were apparently up to something as right after the verdict of acquittal was given in Gezi trial, they made their Twitter trolls and bot accounts open a hashtag putting Gezi and 'coup' side by side and made this hashtag a trending topic. We are unabashedly on the top when it comes to the use of the judiciary as a weapon."

Journalist Banu Güven

"The arrest of Osman Kavala on the allegation of a coup previously dropped as no indictment was issued about it. It is like that as far as I know. Normally, they could not arrest him for the second time, but everything can be expected now. It is a scandal, but nothing else."

Republican People's Party (CHP) Group Deputy Chair Özgür Özel

"The 'upper' verdict on Kavala proves that Erdoğan has turned the issue into a vendetta to such an extent that he had a verdict given upon an instruction to invalidate the judiciary. Kavala will be released sooner or later, the ones who caused the deaths in Gezi, who instructed the judiciary will be put on trial sooner or later.

Former European Parliament Rapporteur to Turkey Kati Piri

"Incredible... No words for this insane and cruel turn in the case of Osman Kavala. After 2,5 years innocently in jail, he was acquitted this morning in the Gezi Trial from 2013, and then Istanbul prosecutor decides to re-arrest him for coup attempt in 2016.

"MADNESS!!!"

Journalist Kemal Göktaş

"Osman Kavala must have a secret army. In both the Gezi trial where he has been acquitted and in the investigation of July 15 where he has been detained, he is accused to attempting to change the constitutional system by force. But, somehow, the state following him step by step cannot find even a sling."

CHP İstanbul Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu

"You will drown in your unlawfulness! An unlawful act committed against a person means an unlawful act committed against the whole society."

Legist Kerem Altıparmak

"When you look at the comments under the hashtag #GeziDarbesi (Gezi Coup), you see the main reason behind the decision of detention. Almost all AKP mayors have tweeted under this hashtag. There is apparently a decision coming from the very top."

Legist Yaman Akdeniz

"What it did to Atilla Taş and Murat Aksoy, İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is now doing it to Osman Kavala. They will detain him before he is released. They will get rid of the ECtHR pressure in that way. The judiciary who has released him is free, so is the one that has issued a warrant..."

Artist Atilla Taş

"When we were released, we were taken into custody in prison and with automatic guns. 'I managed to get arrested even in prison.' When they demanded two aggravated prison sentences for me, I told them 'One of them will be to-go, I will eat it at home'."

Human Rights Association (İHD) Chair Eren Keskin

"If we do not talk about a 'state of law', then nothing surprises us."

HDP Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu

"The detention warrant against Osman Kavala has proven that there is no justice. Shame on you, don't such shadow over this country!"

Journalist Timur Soykan

"The detention warrant issued against Osman Kavala right after his acquittal has a single meaning for us: After the Gülenist gang, a new gang has formed in Turkey. This gang called 'İstanbul Group' is resisting against a wing within the AKP. There is no judicial independence, there is the collapse of the judiciary which cannot be independent." (EKN/SD)