As of: January 19, 2024, 8:59 p.m
By: Erkan Pehlivan
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A German has been in custody since December 6th.
It's not just the charges against the man that raise questions, but also the inaction of the Foreign Office.
Istanbul – A German citizen was arrested again in Turkey.
This is Massoud A. from Rüsselsheim, who comes from northeast Syria (Kurdish: Rojava).
The incident is said to have occurred on December 6, 2013.
The young man was visiting a girlfriend in the country when he was arrested at the new airport in Istanbul.
In this case of a German, too, the reason is said to be terrorist offenses.
German is immediately arrested again after his release
The authorities accused the German citizen of actually being Seydi Bilen.
Bilen is wanted in Turkey for membership in a terrorist organization.
It wasn't until January 9th that the Turkish authorities believed him.
The public prosecutor's office orders the 29-year-old to be released and immediately issues another arrest warrant against him.
This time too, the public prosecutor's office accuses him of membership in a terrorist organization.
He had been in Istanbul's Silivri Prison until then, but after the new arrest he was taken to Maltepe Prison, also in the metropolis.
The Turkish police forced the German to give him the PIN for his iPhone.
They then found a photo there.
He can be seen in a photo with fighters from the YPG People's Protection Units when he was still living in northeast Syria before he came to Germany as a refugee.
The photo was taken in 2011. At that time, the YPG fought together with Western countries against the terrorist militia IS and later defeated it.
The German-Kurd Massoud A. has been in prison in Turkey since December 6, 2013.
© private
Photo becomes German's downfall
“I am and have never been a member of the YPG or anything similar,” says Allrachi in a letter that has been sent to our editorial team.
The photo “is just a reminder that when YPG units defeated IS, everyone was relieved and happy about the YPG’s victory.
“Everyone took photos of themselves and the YPG.”
The German's lawyer, Mesut Acar, also asserted in an interview with
IPPEN.MEDIA
that his client is innocent.
“My client has never belonged to a terrorist organization.
He was never subordinate to a chain of command.
He also never carried out propaganda for a terrorist organization.”
The charges against the Rüsselsheimer are based exclusively on a photo of his client with YPG units.
“At that time, the YPG was the only force in the area fighting against the terrorist militia IS,” said Acar.
The picture is said to have been taken in 2011.
At that time, the man born in 1995 was still a minor.
Prosecution in Turkey full of errors
Acar tells us how absurd the charges against his German client are.
“At that time, the YPG was not a terrorist organization in Turkey.
There is an official letter about this from the Hatay Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
YPG and Turkey were allies at the time.
“There are many examples of mistakes,” says Acar.
In the past, Turkey opened its borders to its neighboring country and allowed aid deliveries to the YPG.
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German Consulate General inactive
The German Kurd's family is particularly disappointed because of the lack of support from the German Consulate General.
“Since my brother was arrested on December 6, 2023, we have not even been able to speak to my brother on the phone.
We don't know how he's doing.
Nobody from the German Consulate General has visited my brother to date,” says Delshad A. The man says that his mother’s health is suffering greatly from the situation.
Bundestag member Gökay Akbulut (The Left) is calling on the Foreign Office to support the Rüsselsheimer.
“Mr Allrachi should receive comprehensive consular assistance.
From experience with similar cases, I know that the Foreign Office sends observers to court proceedings.
“But it shouldn’t hold back from further efforts and take action before a court date,” said Akbulut in an interview with our editorial team.
A. is not the only one who is imprisoned in Turkey for political reasons.
Dozens more share the same fate.
The left-wing MP is therefore calling for a different policy towards Ankara.
“With more decisive action by the federal government, many Germans could leave Turkey again,” said Akbulut.
The member of the Bundestag herself was briefly arrested in August 2023 while entering Ankara airport.
At the time of going to press, we had not received any answers from the Foreign Office to our questions in the case of Massoud A., who was imprisoned in Turkey.
(Erkan Pehlivan)