Turkey frees mobsters due to the coronavirus, but leaves journalists behind bars

Turkey has begun releasing thousands of prisoners to relieve its prisons in the face of the advance of COVID-19, causing controversy over the release of several mafia bosses, while journalists, politicians and civil society activists remain behind bars. The spectacular release of ultra-nationalist mafia boss Alaattin Çakici from prison in Ankara on Thursday night, escorted by hundreds of cars with his followers, was criticized on Friday by opposition representatives and human rights bodies. They warn that the conservative Islamist government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is using the pandemic as an excuse to get convicts linked to members of the executive and their allies out of jail.

Çakici, 67, had been in prison since 2004 on charges of organized crime and money laundering, but had also been convicted of involvement in the murder of 40 people and of ordering the murder of his own ex-wife. The Mafia man is linked to the ultra-nationalist MHP party, an AKP ally in Parliament. MHP leader Devlet Bahçeli had in the past advocated the release of Çakici, whom he describes as "brave" and "in love with his country and its ideals". In a handwritten letter published through his lawyer, the MHP leader thanks Bahçeli for his support and considers him a "great leader of the Turks in the world," while expressing to Erdogan his "deep respect on behalf of all our convicted friends. 

Another of the freed mafiosi is Erol Evcil, known as the "king of olives" because of an olive empire he built with fraudulent money. He was convicted at the time of money laundering, of belonging to organized crime and of ordering murders.

"Leaders of criminal groups and mafias are released on the order of a political party leader. Remember that Bahçeli campaigned to release Çakici," he denounced Efe Yildirim Kaya, vice-president of the social democratic party CHP. "Meanwhile, journalists, parliamentarians and mayors (of the opposition) are being jailed," he criticized.

The new reform, adopted Tuesday, leaves those who have already served half their sentence on probation and imposes house arrest in other cases, although it excludes those convicted of terrorism, murder, drug trafficking or sexual abuse. The government's argument for releasing a total of 90,000 prisoners is to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus, which has infected 17 prisoners in five prisons, three of whom have died.

However, the measure does not include dozens of deputies from the leftist pro-Kurdish HDP party, reporters or activists, all of whom were tried on generic charges of terrorism, although unrelated to violent crimes. "It is an amnesty for the AKP and MHP to pardon anyone they want. They took advantage of Covid-19. Our former president Selahattin Demirtas, our parliamentarians and critical journalists are not on their list of pardons," he denounced Efe Saruhan Oluç, an HDP spokesman.

"Journalists who have never touched a weapon remain in prison, while Çakici, who has been convicted of organised crime, is a free man," said Sebnem Arsu, a journalist and freedom of expression activist, on his Twitter account. "Alaattin Çakici is released, Selahattin Demirtas is in prison," Eren Keskin, the vice-president of the IHD human rights association, said on Twitter.

The organization criticizes that because of the "obscure definition of terrorism" in Turkey, hundreds of people who "express dissenting opinions face charges of terrorism" and are now exempt from amnesty. The lawyers of several imprisoned journalists have called for the release of their clients, which has however been rejected by the courts.

On the other hand, feminist organizations warn that the reform also allows for the release of prisoners convicted of violence against women. Although the new law excludes those convicted of sexual abuse or gender violence, other crimes such as injury or threats are covered by the amendment, according to the Federation of Women's Associations. "If a man who beat his girlfriend was sentenced to six years in prison, his sentence would be halved because of the parole clause in this law. Because probation has been increased from one to three years, he will not be imprisoned," Canan Güllü, president of the Federation, expressed her discomfort.