Turkish court decides for release of eight Gezi protesters, including flag vendor

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Pictures showed Ali Sarıçiçek being detained holding flags with a picture of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, in Taksim. DHA Photo

Turkish court decided today to release eight people, including a flag vendor, who had been arrested during the Gezi protests on July 6, a day after the vendor’s wife criticized the arrest of her husband, daily Hürriyet reported.

The wife of Ali Sarıçiçek, the flag vendor arrested during the Gezi protests, said he sold flags at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) rally in Istanbul’s Kazlıçeşme as well. The prosecutor’s office said the reason for the arrest was “resistance that prevented duty.”

Merhamet Sarıçiçek reacted to the court’s decision to arrest her husband Ali Sarıçiçek, 59, sarcastically, saying he had an organization of seven people, indicating her five children, Doğan news agency reported.

Merhamet Sarıçiçek spoke in front of the courthouse with her five children, including her six-month-old twins, telling reporters that her husband had sold flags during the AKP rally in Kazlıçeşme. “You release the man with machete; they have this justice we have that. My husband sold flags at the Kazlıçeşme [rally]. Why didn’t you arrest him then? He was only selling flags in Taksim,” she said.

Pictures showed Ali Sarıçiçek being detained holding flags with a picture of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, in Taksim.

Ali Sarıçiçek’s lawyer, Tülay Odabaş, said they had told the court head many times that her client was not a demonstrator but rather a street vendor selling flags.

Odabaş said the family was barely surviving as their only income had been the flags Ali Sarısülük was selling and asked for the release of her client.

Meanwhile, the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement late July 15 that Ali Sarıçiçek had not been arrested for selling flags, but for “resistance that prevented duty,” and for “violating the demonstration and meeting law,” Anadolu Agency reported.

“Eight people, including the suspect Ali Sarıçiçek, were detained July 6 and arrested for committing crimes such as ‘resistance that prevented duty,’ and ‘attending illegal demonstrations without any weapons and not dispersing despite warning,’” said the statement.

Prosecutor objects to release of 12 Gezi detainees

A Turkish prosecutor has objected to a court decision to release 12 people, including members of the Taksim Solidarity Platform, who were detained July 8 near Taksim Gezi Park, private news channel CNNTürk reported today.

On July 8, around 50 people were detained in accordance with the Gezi Park protest. Twelve detainees, including leading platform members like city planner Mücella Yapıcı, were released by the court a few days later.