Turkish court aquits Syriac MP Tuma Çelik of sexual assault charges

MERDO / ANKARA — A Turkish court acquitted independent Syriac Member of Turkish Parliament Tuma Çelik of sexual assault charges on Wednesday. Throughout the investigation and trial MP Çelik has maintained the charges against him were fabricated.

Even though he was stripped of his parliamentary immunity and resigning from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), MP Çelik chose to remain an independent MP and represent his constituents and advocate for the rights of the Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean) people while defending himself against the charges.

Despite his resignation, the HDP moved forward with its disciplinary investigation as stipulated by party policy. MP Çelik was suspended until the end of the investigation.

“In the last few days, there have been very serious accusations against us in the media, especially in the pro-government media,” said HDP deputy parliamentary group chair Saruhan Oluç on 20 July. “Male violence against women and crimes against women are actually social issues and occur in political parties from time to time, as well as in society.”

“It was the first time that the HDP faced such a situation since it was founded … The HDP as a whole and the HDP Women’s Assembly in particular never compromise regarding the crimes committed against women, they don’t show the slightest hesitation,” Oluç continued. “They immediately take the necessary stance against the smallest crime against women.”

On 21 July, while addressing parliament, HDP Co-Chair Misthat Sancar stated that the HDP Women’s Council began an investigation into the allegations immediately after the party was made aware. Sancar noted that although the woman in question was repeatedly asked during interviews, she made no statement regarding sexual assault or harassment. The woman applied to the prosecutor’s office but did not inform the HDP.

MP Çelik submitted his defense to the prosecutor’s office without waiting for the pending decision by Turkish parliament regarding the lifting of his immunity. In statements made in his defense, MP Çelik emphasized that the allegations against him were unfounded. MP Çelik stated that his accuser, D.K., had repeatedly asked him for money citing a difficult situation with her husband. MP Çelik’s legal team made the following statements to the court:

“The complainant requested a house and enough money from the client by telling the client that she had problems with her husband and wanted to leave him. But she could not financially support herself, so she needed a house and enough money to live on. The client tried to explain to the complainant that she had misunderstood him and that he could not help her in this matter but that he could do his best to solve her problems with her husband and children.

The complainant built up her requests very professionally and makes slander in order to take advantage of the people she has entrapped. This is obvious from the correspondence we have provided in the attachment.

In the file in case, there was no sexual intercourse. It is the complainant who tries to exploit the client financially. She sent him messages that may amount to harassment of the client and she wanted to benefit from the client’s political environment. The complainant has repeatedly requested the resignation of our client from parliament. She first requested to live together, and then she demanded money and a house.”

Read Also: Syriac MP for Mardin Tuma Çelik: “New evidence of the conspiracy against me has been revealed”

MP Çelik’s acquittal comes amidst criticism of the Turkish judicial system following the conviction of Syriac Orthodox monk Sefer (Aho) Bileçen of the Mor Yahqup d-Qarne Monastery on terrorism charges. He has been sentenced to 25 months in prison.

Monk Aho was arrested on 9 January 2020 on charges of “membership of a terrorist organization” but released on parole also after public pressure. He was charged with having given food and water to members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which is designated a terrorist organization in Turkey. In his testimony, monk Aho does not deny having given food and water but that he did not know that the people were members of the PKK organization.

After his arrest and a meeting with members of the Urfa Bar Association and Human Rights Commission, monk Aho shared the following message through his lawyers:

“In 2018, two organization members came to the monastery. They asked me for food which I gave them. This incident was later determined and the Commander of the Metropolitan Gendarme at the time met with me. I did not deny the incident. I asked for security measures to prevent the incident from happening again, but no security measures were taken.

I thought the matter was closed after my testimony was recorded. I will give food and water to anyone who comes to my door. I have to give it out of my religious and philosophical beliefs. I cannot lie because I am a monk-priest. I gave food not to help any organization, but out of my beliefs. From a religious and philosophical perspective, I cannot report it. I can’t leave the monastery anyway.”

U.S. Ambassador to Turkey David M. Satterfield visited the Mor Gabriel Monastery in Tur Abdin, southeastern Turkey, just two days after the verdict was handed down.

Amidst international condemnation of monk Aho’s conviction, the Turkish government has tried to improve its image. Turkish Ambassador to the United States Hasan Murat Mercan undertook a curiously timed visited to the Syriac Orthodox Mor Gabriel Church in New Jersey.