US consulate employee in Turkey’s Adana arrested over PKK links

MARDİN

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An employee of the U.S. consulate in the southern province of Adana was arrested on charges of “being a member of a terror organization” on March 7 after he was detained for the second time as a part of an investigation launched into the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) shortly after his release, Doğan News Agency has reported.

Counter-terrorism police on Feb. 23 detained Hamza Uluçay who had been working as a translator at the consulate in Adana for 36 years as he left the consulate building for allegedly attempting to direct the public to provocative activities in the southeastern province of Mardin following the “neutralization” of a PKK militant codenamed “Behzat.”

Authorities often use the word “neutralized” to imply the militant in question was either surrendered, killed or captured.

Uluçay had been referred to a local court in Mardin’s Kızıltepe district for arrest but he was later released on probation.

However, police detained H.U. for the second time following a prosecutor’s objection to his release on March 7.

A local court later ordered the arrest of Uluçay on charges of “being a member of a terror organization.”

During searches at his residence, police had also seized a total of 21 U.S. dollars with B, C, D, F, G, K and L series on them.