Monday, December 7, 2015

Another choice-of-forum issue, this time from Turkey

Today's Zaman reports that three Turkish Gendarmerie senior officers, including one retiree, are objecting that charges against them arose in the line of duty and therefore ought to be adjudicated in a military court. Excerpt:
Two generals and a retired colonel who were arrested on charges of espionage and terrorism for their role in intercepting trucks carrying arms to Syria on November 2014 have challenged the arrest decision. 
Ankara gendarmerie regional commander Maj. Gen. İbrahim Aydın, former Adana gendarmerie regional commander Brig. Gen. Hamza Celepoğlu and former Gendarmerie Criminal Laboratory head retired Col. Burhanettin Cihangiroğlu were detained on Nov. 28 and referred to an İstanbul court for arrest on Nov. 29. The İstanbul Second Criminal Court of Peace ruled for the arrest pending trial of Aydın, Celepoğlu and Cihangiroğlu shortly after midnight on Nov. 30. 
The appeal petition filed by Celepoğlu's lawyer, Vural Ergül, says his client is a soldier and the charges are related to his military duty and services. “Thus, the jurisdiction belongs to military courts,” the petition said, implying that the İstanbul 2nd Penal Court of Peace, which arrested the senior military officials, acted out of its jurisdiction by arresting the military officials.

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