english Version of "Aufruf zur Unterstützung von Pinar Selek"

Appeal for Pinar Selek

Dear Friends,

The Turkish writer and sociologist Pinar Selek, born in 1971, presently a scholar in the Writers-in-Exile program of German P.E.N., is a passionate advocate for the rights of different kinds of minorities, such as socially disadvantaged children, but she also defends the civil rights of ethnic minorities like Kurds and Armenians. A woman of many trades, she is a writer of non-fictional books about sociological topics as well as children’s books. Currently she is working on her first novel. A few month ago her book (about male identities in Turkey, and especially about the influence of Turkish military on male self-perception) Sürüne Sürüne Erkek Olmak (Mollycoddled to be a Man – Drilled to be a Man) was published in German translation by Orlanda Verlag, Berlin, under the title Zum Mann gehätschelt - zum Mann gedrillt.

In 1998 Pinar Selek was arrested for alleged propaganda for PKK; she spent two and a half years in prison where she was severely tortured. It was only in custody that she realized she was being charged with having committed a terrorist bomb attack on the Egyptian Bazaar in Istanbul on behalf of the PKK. After an eight year trial Pinar was acquitted in 2006. By then, numerous experts had confirmed that the explosion on the Bazaar had not been caused by a bomb but by a faulty liquid gas bottle. The main witness for the prosecution admitted that his testimony was obtained under torture. At the beginning of last year, the case was referred to the Turkish High Court of Appeals because of alleged procedural errors. There, the acquittal was quashed, against which decision the senior public prosecutor of that same court appealed, saying that as there was no bomb involved in the explosion, it could not have been planted by somebody. However, the court did not accept the appeal of the senior public prosecutor. In February, 2010 we were alarmed to hear that the the Court of Appeals in Ankara is demanding life imprisonment under stiffened conditions for Pinar Selek.

Recently, the Court of Appeals overruled the appeal against the rescindement of the acquittal filed by Selek’s lawyers. The reopening of the lawsuit at Istanbul High Criminal Court number 12, that had given the decision of acquittal in 2008, will take place on 9th of February, 2011. Ms. Christa Schuenke, the Vice-President in charge of Writers- in-Prison, will follow the trial as official observer.

During the last ten years Pinar Selek has become an icon of the democracy movement in Turkey. It is obvious that antidemocratic forces within the Turkish penal jurisdiction are trying to use their influence in order to gag a courageous writer. Earlier this year, Pinar Selek was honored with the Duygu Asena Award of the Turkish PEN- center. Unfortunately, she could not be there to take part in the awards ceremony.

It seems that the retrial will start very soon. This is why Pinar Selek needs public support not only in her own country but all over the world. During her first trial public figures like Orhan Pamuk, Yasar Kemal, Hrant Dink, Noam Chomsky and Claudia Roth have promoted her case. There are reports about the new situation in all progressive Turkish media. On Pinar Selek’s WebSite http://www.pinarselek.com there is a petition against the retrial. It was signed by numerous Turkish and international associations and organizations, and there is also another list with the names of many public figures.

The German P.E.N. has asked its members as well as other personalities of public life to support Pinar Selek by signing its solidarity campaign. Up to today far more than 3.000 people from 18 countries have followed the appeal, among them many famous writers, artists and politicians such as Fatih Akin, Elisabeth Badinter, John Banville, Judith Butler, Daniela Dahn, Dai Qing, Renan Demirkan, Ulrike Draesner, Jutta Ferbers, Wieland Förster, Heiner Geißler, Günter Grass, Gregor Gysi, Peter Härtling, Christoph Hein, Elfriede Jelinek, Reinhard Jirgl, Joachim Kaiser, Necla Kelek, Inge Keller, Tom Koenigs, Ursula Krechel, Wolfgang Kohlhaase, Ursula Krechel, Norbert Lammert, Petra Morsbach, Martin Mosebach, Herta Müller, Cem Özdemir, Luk Perceval, Claus Peymann, Monika Rinck, Claudia Roth, Rüdiger Safranski, Dirk Sager, Joachim Sartorius, Wilfried F. Schoeller, Christa Schuenke, Tilman Spengler, Klaus Staeck, Johano Strasser, Wolfgang Thierse, Hans Thill, Hans- Ulrich Treichel, Jan Wagner, Martin Walser, Heidemarie Wieczorek- Zeul, Herbert Wiesner and Christa Wolf. With this campaign the German P.E.N. is protesting against the impending arbitrary act of the Turkish jurisdiction. We demand an immediate dismissal of the trial.

Please support Pinar Selek with your name by signing our appeal. All you have to do is send an email of confirmation to christaschuenke 'at' mac.com.

Thank you and kindest regards,  Christa Schuenke Vice President of P.E.N. Germany  in charge of Writers-in-Exile

Here you can sign online.

On 20 April, 2010, Yasemin Öz, board member of the Feminist Cooperative Amargi in Istanbul wrote to P.E.N. Germany:

“Pinar Selek is a prominent writer and feminist, peace activist in Turkey. Pinar Selek is one of the frontier members of our organization. For years, members of our organization are trying to support Pinar and making campaigns in and abroad to avoid this unjust trial against Pinar. During all these years, we received support from many people and organizations in and abroad. With this support, we hope the justice will come in the end.

As such, the campaign of P.E.N. Germany to support Pinar was amazingly helpful to raise the request for justice in and abroad. PEN Germany’s campaign raised the voice of request for justice and the reflections of the campaign in Turkey will be very helpful to reach the justice we hope. Since the trial is going on against in Pinar in Turkey, continuousness of the campaign shall be the most support for her. Besides, Pinar’s lawyers are planning to apply European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). So PEN Germany’s campaign shall be so helpful also during the process of ECHR.

We want to thank to P.E.N. Germany and personally you for your support to Pinar in Berlin and in the campaign. We do appreciate your support for Pinar and her case. We are stronger with your campaign and it is the most useful support to her. Your support is very important for Pinar’s case. I will be pleased to contact you for anything we can do to support P.E.N. Germany’s campaign on Pinar’s case.

Kind regards,
Yasemin ÖZ
Lawyer”

Amargi means freedom. The Feminist Cooperative Amargi that was founded in 2001 by Pinar Selek and others, is a network of women who are confronted with various types of discrimination and oppression. It aims at promoting gender studies and at the same time wants to advance equailty of women within the Turkish society. Amargi is part of the huge feminist movement in Turkey and member of many national and international feminist networks. It has regional centers in almost every Turkish citiy, is running the only feminist bookshop in Turkey and publishes a well regarded Feminist Magazine. Pinar Selek is one of the most active authors of this Magazine.

Yasemin Öz is a lawyer and the company lawyer of Amargi. She is also the international spokeswoman of the campaign for Pinar Selek.