Soldier to be charged with terror in leak case in Turkey

ISTANBUL- Hürriyet Daily News

Suspected gendarme Utku Kalı (2 R) was tortured during his testimony, says his sister Ceren (inset L). DHA photo

The family of the gendarme accused of leaking secret documents on the Reyhanlı bombings-linked terrorist activities in the southern province of Hatay, will be tried at a special authority court as a terror suspect, according to his lawyer.

Sivas Fifth Training Brigade Command Military Court took a decision of non-jurisdiction in suspected gendarmerie officer Utku Kalı’s trial on Aug. 15 and sent the case to Samsun High Criminal Court which is authorized under the fight against terror law.

Ceren Kalı, sister and lawyer of Utku Kalı, said that they hoped that her brother would to be tried without arrest by the Samsun High Criminal. He is under arrest on charges of “escaping” “obfuscating the evidences” and “breaking the military order,” said Ceren Kalı, adding that if he was tried in a civilian court “breaking the military order” would not be an excuse for arresting him.

An indictment approved by the military court demanded a 25-year-sentence for Utku Kalı for “exposing and providing the state’s secret documents.”

Lawyer applied to Constitutional Court

Ceren Kalı told a press conference that they had applied to the Constitutional Court after their objections to the trial without arrest were not approved.

Ceren Kalı said she issued criminal complaints against the prison officials about the maltreatment he was facing, such as being searched naked after every meeting with his lawyers or family. She also said her brother was suffering from serious depression because of the cruel treatment and he did not have access to fair treatment.
 
She said that they had appealed to the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) to examine Utku Kalı. But the Defense Ministry rejected the TTB’s demand in this regard. The suspected officer’s father asked for more support from the public and media in Utku Kalı’s case.

“Your support for Utku is very precious for us and for him. He is receiving hundreds of letters from my people he doesn’t even know. CDs signed by the bands, books signed by writers are also sent to him. The soldiers in his prison told us that he is a much loved person as they are opening and searching all of the post sent to Utku. This support is keeping him stronger,” said Mahmut Kalı, father of suspected gendarme.

Gönül Çeçen, mother of Utku Kalı, burst into tears when she attempted to address the press conference.

Ceren Kalı said Utku Kalı was being tortured just because he was being forced to pay the price of the intelligence organizations’ incompetence.

“Utku is just a private on duty at that hour. He did not confess to this crime even during his testimony that is taken under torture. Utku is innocent and deserves a fair trial,” said Ceren Kalı.

Kalı was arrested on May 24 for leaking the documents, belonging to the Gendarmerie Intelligence Department, claiming that an anti-government group in Syria, al-Nusra Front, with links to al-Qaeda, was planning a car bomb attack that might occur in Turkey. Some 53 civilians were killed in Reyhanlı on May 11.

It is said in the indictment that Kalı made photocopies of the intelligence documents, taking one copy more than ordered and sent the extra copy to a local newspaper journalist in Istanbul via his mobile phone.