The article was originally published by Bianet
Anadolu Kültür Executive Board Chair, rights advocate and businessperson Osman Kavala has been deprived of his freedom for 1 year.
Kavala was taken into custody exactly one year ago (October 18). No indictment has been issued against him up until today.
All requests of release submitted for Osman Kavala have been rejected. His judicial process has not been proceeding. Kavala has been waiting in prison for the day, when he will appear in court.
The latest development in Kavala’s judicial process has been the news that came from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on September 19, 2018. The court has decided to hear the case of Osman Kavala in an accelerated procedure.
We have compiled the judicial process of Osman Kavala on the occasion that it has been a year since his period of detention started.
What happened?
Osman Kavala was taken into custody in the evening hours on October 18, 2017 at İstanbul Atatürk Airport upon his return from a meeting of a project that was planned to be realized in cooperation with the Goethe Institute in Turkey’s southeastern province of Antep.
He was targeted by some pro-government newspapers after he had been taken into custody.
Speaking at the weekly group meeting of his party, President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan referred to Kavala as the “Soros of Turkey”, mentioning his name and said:
“Some try to deflect the truth by means of praises attributed to him such as ‘He was a good citizen, a media member, an NGO representative’. The identity of this figure called ‘Soros of Turkey’ has been uncovered. That was his name that came up in Consulate General [investigation].
“All connections have surfaced. And there is the same person behind the incidents in Taksim. You see those people again behind funds transfer to certain places. Who are you trying to fool?”
His detention also sparked criticism on international level.
US thinker and professor in linguistics, Noam Chomsky, United States Department of State Spokesperson Heather Nauert and European Parliament Rapporteur for Turkey Kati Piri denounced Kavala’s detention and demanded that he be released immediately.
On October 31, a group of 35 academics, writers and researchers coming together under the guidance of the European Network on Political Group Analysis Jean-François Bayart, addressed an open letter to President Erdoğan for Kavala’s release.
On November 1, 2017, Osman Kavala was arrested by the İstanbul 1st Penal Judgeship of Peace. Seven days later, on November 8, an objection was submitted to the arrest of Kavala. On December 29, 2017, a personal application was also submitted to the Constitutional Court.
On January 23, 2018, all of the requests that were submitted for the examination of his arrest were rejected.
On June 7, an application was made to the ECtHR. On September 19, the court ruled that the case of Kavala shall be heard in accelerated procedure.
About Osman Kavala
Kavala was born in Paris in 1957. He graduated from Department of Economy at Manchester University.
He has been working as executive at Kavala Group since 1982.
He participated in the foundation of Turkey’s one of the most prominent publishing houses, İletişim Publications, with Murat Belge.
He served as member of administrative boards of business institutions and NGOs such as Turkey-Poland Business Council, Turkey-Greece Business Council, and Center for Democracy in Southeast Europe.
Kavala is a member of Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) Administrative Board, Open Society Institute Consulting Board, and supporter of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, History Foundation and Diyarbakır Culture House. (HK/SD)