Rapid Action Network Alert by International PEN
in Support of Yektan Turkyilmaz
August 4, 2005
Source: http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/dev/viewArticles.asp?findID_=360
4 August 2005: Armenia: Turkish academic imprisoned for attempting to "smuggle"
RAN 31/05
Yektan Turkyilmaz, a Turkish Ph. D. student of Cultural Anthropology
has been in prison in Armenia since mid June. He was arrested for not
declaring that he was in possession of antique books as he was leaving
the country.
International PEN is concerned that Turkyilmaz has been imprisoned
pending trial for over six weeks and that he is threatened with a
sentence of up to eight years in prison. It is concerned that he is
being treated particularly harshly because of the nature of his
studies. PEN is urging that he be freed pending trial, that his claims
that he was unaware of the export regulations on the books be taken
into consideration and to provide assurances that the action has not
been taken as a means to prevent him from continuing out his research.
Yektan Turkyilmaz, aged 33, was arrested at Yerevan Airport on 17 June
as he attempted to leave Armenia. Turkyilmaz was on his fourth research
trip to the country, and planned to travel on to Paris and Istanbul
before returning to Duke University in the USA where he has a John Hope
Franklin Institute fellowship.
During his visit, Turkyilmaz had purchased around 100 books ranging
from the 17th to 20th Centuries which he mostly bought from Armenian
second-hand book shops. Turkyilmaz has been collecting such books for
his own research as well as to build up a library of Armenian books
that would otherwise be lost. However, Turkyilmaz was apparently
unaware that he was required to declare any books over 50 years old at
customs. A large number of CDs containing research material was also
seized and had not been returned. On 21 July, the prosecuting
authorities announced that Turkyilmaz is to be tried under Article 215
of the Armenian Criminal Code relating to the export of "Contraband"
goods which includes drugs, arms, materials for the manufacture of
weapons of mass destruction and "cultural values for the transportation
of which special rules are established". Turkyilmaz faces a prison term
of up to 8 years in prison. His trial date is due to be announced in a
few days.
There is deep concern that Turkyilmaz has limited access to his lawyer
and friends, and that he is denied access to the telephone, or to write
and receive letters.
Background
Turkyilmaz is the first Turkish citizen to be granted access to the
Armenian National Archives. He has gained degrees from Bogaziçi
University in Istanbul, and Duke University in the USA. He has also
received a scholarship from the Social Science Research Council in the
USA, as well as from the Council of Library and Information Resources,
and theAmerican Research Institute in Turkey. His dissertation
"Imagining 'Turkey', Creating a Nation: the Politics of Geography and
State Formation in Eastern Anatolia, 1908-1938" has won him several
awards. Academics world-wide have joined together to protest his
arrest, pointing out that he is unique in being a fluent speaker of
Turkish, Armenian, English and Kurdish, and a reading knowledge of
Ottoman Turkish and French. The Social Science Research Council states
that "Not only has Turkyilmaz dedicated his academic research towards
understanding and preserving the multi-cultural heritage of Eastern
Anatolia, but he has also dedicated his personal efforts towards this
cause. … He maintains one of best collections of Armenian books in
Turkey… Several researchers have already benefited from this collection
for their own research and Yektan has literally 'saved' many books from
being discarded and forgotten". The SSRC website reproduces many
testimonies from professors testifying to Turkyilmaz's integrity and
academic achievements.
For full details go to: http://www.ssrc.org/Threats-to-Intellectual-Freedom/Turkyilmaz.page
To see a letter of protest to Armenian President Robert Kocharian signed by over 240 writers and academics world wide, click
http://www.ssrc.org/programs/publications_editors/publications/Turkyilmaz.pdf
Recommended Actions:
Please send appeals:
- Expressing deep concern about the arrest of Yektan Turkyilmaz for
inadvertently attempting to take books out of Armenia without
permission;
- Pointing out that his continued detention and that he could be tried
under charges that carry a maximum of eight years in prison is
unreasonably harsh;
- Referring to suggestions that these measures have been taken as a
means of deterring Turkyilmaz from further research into the issue of
Armenian-Turkish relations
- Requesting that the court takes these concerns into consideration;
- Calling for Yektan Turkyilmaz to be freed pending trial and that all restrictions on visits and communications be lifted.
Appeals to:
His Excellency Robert Kocharian
President
Office of the President
Marshal Bagharmaina St 26
375077 Yerevan
Armenia
PEN is currently seeking an up to date fax number for the President's
office. You may wish to send your appeal via the Armenian embassy in
your country. For addresses of Armenian embassies world wide click http://www.armeniaforeignministry.com/htms/embassiesList.html.
For further information please contact
Sara Whyatt - WiPC Programme Director
at swhyatt@wipcpen.org