70 year old arrested linguist Alpay: ‘My efforts for peace are considered a crime’
For over a week, linguist and author Necmiye Alpay has been held in custody as part of investigations on the temporarily shut-down Özgür Gündem newspaper. 70 years old renowned linguist Alpay was arrested on August 31st by police, who claimed she could ‘run away’, although she had reported to the Istanbul Courthouse that day herself.
Having been charged with connections to ‘terrorist organization’, member of Özgür Gündem’s Advisory Board Necmiye Alpay had commented on her arrest by saying ‘her efforts for peace have been considered a crime’.
Alpay answered questions of Canan Coşkun from Cumhuriyet newspaper
In the decision of İstanbul 8th Court of Peace, Alpay’s arrest was based on the ‘probability of her escape’ and ‘possibility of her spoliation of evidence, as well as, carrying out the same acts mentioned in the investigation.’
Replying to Coşkun’s question on ‘what acts of linguists they could be fearing’, Alpay said: “I want to say that the judge might be considering my efforts for peace a crime but that is against all reason, too.”
Also mentioning that she is in the same ward as arrested author Aslı Erdoğan, Alpay said: “Conditions at prisons had been better due to Aslı’s efforts. Now, there is a decline in exercises of rights at prisons. Visitations are more restricted... Aslı was happy for us to see each other but did not get happy over my arrest.”
According to the reports of Coşkun, Alpay had previously said at the Bureau of Investigations on Press Offences before her arrest that her membership at the Advisory Board of Özgür Gündem was only ‘symbolic’ and that ‘the Board had not even met once’. After her arrest based on her membership in this Board, with ‘charges of connection to terrorist organization’, Alpay expressed that she felt ‘downtrodden.’
In her testimony to prosecutor Umut Tepe, Alpay had said: “I have always given effort for terror and violence to end.” Also commenting on her first day at jail coinciding with September 1 World Peace Day, Alpay defined it as a ‘situation that has become ordinary’ in Turkey.
Alpay’s lawyer Cemal Polat has filed an objection to her arrest
Alpay’s lawyer Cemal Polat has recently filed an objection to her arrest at İstanbul 8th Court of Peace and demanded her release.
According to the reports of Evrensel newspaper, in the letter of objection filed recently, lawyer Polat mentioned that ‘there is no evidence or signaling incident in relevance to the claims on Alpay’s membership in the terrorist organization’, adding that ‘if she had intended to run away, she would not have herself reported to the courthouse to testify.’
Alpay had served 3 years jail time after 1980 coup
A graduate of Ankara University’s Political Science Department, Necmiye Alpay completed her PhD at Nanterre University of Paris in the field of international economics. In addition to her short-term positions as a lecturer, Alpay also works as a translator, linguist, and author; and, she had written for Radikal newspaper between the years of 2001 and 2011. Meanwhile, she has continued her series of articles on poetry in Milliyet newspaper’s monthly journal Kitap (Book) since 2008. Linguist Alpay had also served 3 years jail time, while she was in her 30’s, in Ankara’s Mamak prison following the coup of 12 September 1980.
Sources: https://www.birgun.net/haber-
https://www.birgun.net/haber-