WASHINGTON—Following the recent court decision in Turkey to reduce Serkan Gölge’s prison sentence by two-and-a-half years—but not to free him—Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) issued the following statement:
“The court’s response to Serkan Gölge’s appeal is deeply disappointing. Serkan and his family already have endured more than two years of anguish and separation, and yet the Turkish justice system has failed to produce any convincing evidence of the charges against him. This injustice must come to an end. U.S. sanctions on Turkey’s justice and interior ministers should continue until all wrongfully detained Americans and locally employed staff of U.S. consulates in Turkey are free.”
U.S. citizen and NASA scientist Serkan Gölge is one of several American citizens, including Pastor Andrew Brunson, who have been caught up in the sweeping purge that followed the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey. Gölge, Brunson, and two Turkish employees of U.S. consulates were charged with terrorism offenses despite no involvement with violent activity—a situation faced by thousands of other Turks. A third consulate employee remains under house arrest on dubious charges.
In November 2017, the Helsinki Commission held a hearing on the detention of American citizens and U.S. consulate employees in Turkey. A month earlier, Helsinki Commission leaders called on President Erdogan to lift the state of emergency imposed in July 2016 after the failed military coup against his government. Turkey ended its two-year-long state of emergency in July 2018, but shortly thereafter the Grand National Assembly approved legislation that effectively enshrines many of President Erdogan’s controversial emergency decrees.
Ahead of the May 2017 meeting between President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Helsinki Commission leaders also urged President Trump to seek guarantees that U.S. citizens and locally employed staff jailed in Turkey will have their cases promptly and fairly adjudicated.
