French student arrested for attending May 1 celebrations in Turkey
ISTANBUL
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A French university student of Turkish origin who came to Turkey from France to study as part of the Erasmus program has been under arrest for one month on charges of attending May 1 celebrations, daily Milliyet reported today.
The 19-year-old woman, Sevil Sevimli, who has lived in France since she was born, came to the central Anatolian province of Eskişehir 10 months ago as part of a university exchange program after she decided it was a good opportunity to get to know her original homeland, Turkey, better.
Six students including Sevimli were arrested in Eskişehir on May 10 during operations against the DHKP/C terrorist organization.
The woman has been accused of attending a concert by the left-wing band "Grup Yorum" held in Istanbul on April 12, participating in May 1 celebrations, hanging a banner for free education and more, according to Sevimli's lawyer.
"I am a leftist person, I was reading all the leftist journals in France," Sevimli said. "I hung a banner at school once after I heard about the campaign for free education conducted by Turkish students, as I know the economic problems. It is not an illegal action. I am a student, and I have no links with any organizations."