German writer comes to Istanbul to support Akhanlı in murder case

German writer comes to Istanbul to support Akhanlı in murder case

VERCİHAN ZİFLİOĞLU

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The real reason behind Turkish writer Doğan Akhanlı’s arrest in Istanbul is his work on Armenian genocide claims, German intellectual Günter Wallraff said Wednesday.

Wallraff was in Istanbul to attend the first hearing of Akhanlı, who was arrested last August while returning from self-imposed exile in Germany.

Akhanlı, who fled Turkey after serving sentences for his political activities following the 1980 military coup and settled in Germany as an author, translator and human rights activist, attended the first hearing of a murder case on Wednesday. Prosecutors accuse Akhanlı of being the member and leader of a terrorist organization and of killing jewelry store owner İbrahim Yaşar Tutum during an attempted robbery in 1989. Prosecutors have demanded a life sentence for Akhanlı.

The first hearing was continuing as the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review went to press late Wednesday.

German writer Wallraff told the Daily News that his government was not lending support to Akhanlı, who is also a German citizen.

Wallraff said he believed Akhanlı’s 2003 work “Talat Paşa Minutes,” about the Ottoman political figure seen as responsible for the death of Armenians in the 1915 events, is the real reason behind his arrest.

He said Germany did not want to be involved since it shared responsibility for the Armenian tragedy equally with Turkey.

“Akhanlı is a real intellectual,” said Wallraff, criticizing the fact that despite democratic reforms in Turkey, authors and writers were still being victimized by judicial processes.

“We want to see Turkey in the European Union. But there needs to be improvement in human rights, freedom of expression and democracy,” he said, adding that he does not believe Akhanlı, a long-time friend, committed the murder of which he is accused.

Akhanlı came to Turkey this summer to visit his sick 90-year-old father, but was unable to see to the latter before he died because of his arrest at Atatürk Airport.

“The innocence of Akhanlı will be proven one day or another. But how will one compensate for this humanitarian tragedy?” Wallraff asked.

Anderej Hunko from the German parliament was also present at the trial and said what was happening to Akhanlı was unacceptable.