Detailed court ruling reveals judges' disagreements in Selek case

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish sociologist Pinar Selek (R) attends a meeting of support in her honor at the university of Strasbourg , on January 24, 2013 in Strasbourg, eastern France. AFP PHOTO/FREDERICK FLORIN

An Istanbul court announced a detailed ruling March 6 for a lifelong sentence of Pınar Selek, an academic charged with the 1998 deadly bombing of the Spice Bazaar, or Mısır Çarşısı, in central Istanbul, while admitting that no bomb pieces were found at the scene.

The main discussion about the blast, which left seven dead and wounded dozens more, was on whether it was a bomb attack or an LPG blast.

Selek was sentenced Jan. 24, bringing an end to a years-long investigation and several appeal processes at higher courts.

The court ruled almost unanimously that the blast at the Spice Market was a bombing, with one court member rejecting this claim on the basis that evidences were not clear.

However, the ruling claimed the lack of strong evidence proving it was a bomb derived from heavy water sweep used by firefighters after the blast.

Depending on the testimonies of some suspects, the court decided that Selek was an outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) member using the code name “Leyla” and contacted the leaders of the organization in both France and Romania.

Some bomb-making equipment was found in her bag when she was arrested, the ruling also said.

The court said they had found Selek’s not guilty plea unconvincing.

Selek, who had been living in France, said after the court ruling she would struggle to return to Turkey even though she would have to face arrest.