Top businessman welcomes journalist

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Nedim Şener (L) is seen with his wife after being released on March 12. AA photo

Upon release from prison on March 12, journalist Nedim Şener and his wife Vecide Şener attended the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Open Society Foundation in Istanbul. 

“I am very happy to see Nedim Şener with us tonight, and all our efforts are to not leave other Nedim Şeners languishing in prison anymore,” a member of the board of trustees of the Open Society Foundation in Turkey, Turkish-Jewish businessman Ishak Alaton said during the ceremony, which was organized by the Open Society Foundation at Sabancı Museum in Istanbul. 

Alaton also mentioned the deportation events of 1915 in Turkey. “Hundreds of sins were committed. We have to find a solution to the 1915 events, otherwise we will have to encounter [the genocide bills of] all the world’s parliaments”, Alaton said. He added that it was wrong to accuse someone because of a crime his or her grandfather committed.

Another member of the board of trustees of the Foundation, Osman Kavala, said the number of arrest verdicts given by special-authority courts in Turkey had increased dramatically in the last two years.

Reminding that the arrest verdicts of the journalists Nedim Şener and Ahmet Şık were also given by such a court, he said: “These verdicts can lead to nonsense situations a lot of the time,” adding his opinion that special-authority courts should be closed.