Saturday, August 4, 2018

Victory! Journalist Turgut Kaya will not be extradited to Turkey

After mounting and consistent pressure from the workers-people's movement, parties and organizations, the Greek Ministry of Justice decided today not to extradite journalist and political prisoner Turgut Kaya to Turkey. 

Since the beginning of June, the 45 year-old journalist was on a hunger strike, demonstrating against the decision by the Supreme Courts 6th Section to ask his extradition to Turkey. From her side, the Greek Asylum Committee had granted political asylum to Kaya. 

The Turkish authorites had demanded the extradition of Turgut Kaya accusing him for being a member of "illegal political organization" (The Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front, known by the acronym DHKP-C). It must be noted that since 1992 Kaya has been imprisoned and tortured multiple times in Turkey for his political beliefs. 

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE), as well as the All-Workers Militant Front (PAME), had expressed their opposition to the extradition of Turgut Kaya, demanding from the Minister of Justice to "exercise his lawful jurisdiction in order to avert the Supreme Court's decision".

The non-extradition of 45 year-old journalist and political activist consists a victory, not only for him, but for the whole people's movement in both Turkey and Greece.