Here is the letter of Terre des Femmes;

Your Excellency Sadullah Ergin,

As a Human Rights Organization for Women we are deeply concerned about the reports of Pınar Selek being accused of subversion of the Turkish Nation under Article 125 of the Turkish Criminal Code. We urge you to dismiss the charges, which are brought against Misses Pınar Selek, immediately.

In the written accusation Pınar Selek is accused of „placing a bomb in the Spice Bazaar with Abdülmecit Öztürk, upon the directive of the PKK and being a member of the aforementioned organization“. All the reports issued by the police expert teams came to the result that the explosion was certainly not due to a bomb. Furthermore Abdülmecit Öztürk emphasized at court that he had given the statement, on which the charges are based on, under pressure and torture.

As you know, Misses Pınar Selek had to spend two and a half year in prison for an alleged bombing which has been proven to be a false accusation. Moreover, despite of her innocence, Misses Selek was tortured during her imprisonment. Eleven years after her release, the Turkish Supreme Court has annulled the verdict of no guilty recently, demanding that she must spend the rest of her life in prison!

As an organization, fighting for women’s rights worldwide, we support and appreciate the of work Pınar Selek, a leading feminist sociologist in Turkey and cofounder of the Women’s Human Rights Organization „Amargi“ entirely. Her studies concerning the living conditions of marginal groups like street children, transsexuals and prostitutes are important scientific researches, which reveal corporate problems in the society of Istanbul and beyond. Therefore, the political motivated work of Pinar Selek is important to raise peoples awareness of this severe topics. As a parliamentary democracy, the Turkish Government can be proud of activists like Pınar Selek, fighting for a growing democratization. With her work she is contributing to the implementation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, ratified by the Turkish Republic in 1950. We demand the Turkish government to respect the right of a scientist of free expression as part of the human rights.

Misses Pınar Selek is one of the intellectuals who have a close relationship with marginalized groups. Pinar Selek has been struggling for the solution of sociopolitical problems with nonviolent methods. Misses Selek is not only a peaceful activist, but also an important figure within feminist politics.

I look forward to hearing from you urgently in connection with this serious matter.

Yours respectfully

Christa Stolle

Director