ISTANBUL - The release of Çetin Arkaş, a member of the İmralı Secretariat, who was stated to be in "good behaviour" 6 times in the Administration and Observation Board reports, was once again postponed for 3 months.

 

The release of Çetin Arkaş, who was held in Marmara (Silivri) Closed Prison and took part in the İmralı Secretariat during the so-called "Resolution Process" 2013-15, was postponed for 3 months by the Administration and Observation Board.

 

The Administrative and Observation Board convened on 16 June regarding Arkaş, whose release was evaluated at least 8 times and who was assessed to be in "good behaviour" in 6 of the observation and evaluation reports issued for him. 

 

The board decided to postpone Arkaş's release for 3 months to be re-evaluated after 3 months, arguing that Arkaş was in "good behaviour" but did not appear before the Board and did not make a request for this, that he "implicitly used the language of the organisation" and that "there were manipulative discourses in his approaches". Arkaş's lawyers will appeal against the Board's decision.

 

Arkaş's release was postponed for 6 months on 14 June 2024 on the grounds of "not being in good behaviour". In December 2024, the Board decided to postpone Arkaş's release for 6 months again and decided to re-evaluate Arkaş's release on 16 June 2025.

 

6 TIMES 'GOOD BEHAVIOUR' DECISION

 

Previous observation and evaluation reports on Arkaş had stated that he was in "good behaviour". The observation and evaluation reports dated 1 October 2021, 31 March 2022, 7 December 2022, 13 April 2023 and 4 October 2023 all stated that Arkaş was "in good behaviour". With this verdict, Arkaş was not released from prison even though he was judged to be in "good behaviour" 6 times.

 

ABOUT ÇETIN ARKAŞ

 

Çetin Arkaş was arrested after being detained in Isparta in 1992 and he was sentenced to life imprisonment for "disrupting the unity of the state" in the trial held at the State Security Court (DGM).  Çetin Arkaş was sent to İmralı High Security F Type Closed Prison where Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan is held on 15 March 2015 for "secretariat duty" during the "dialogue process". Arkaş was transferred to Silivri Prison on 16 December 2015 after spending 9 months and 10 days there.

 

MA / Diren Yurtsever