gylenist doctor risks life sentence in Turkey

Dr Osman Karakaya has been working as a cardiologist at a private hospital in Kosovo for several years until Thursday, March 29th, where he was arrested by Kosovo Police. But seven years ago he was the main figure of a major judicial process that started in 2009 against 275 top figures in Turkey that Erdogan accused of being part of the Gulen Fetullah Movement, which created a second “state in Turkey”. A report that Karakaya had written had turned the process to zero for one of his colleagues whose judgment became global.

Except for the five Turkish citizens arrested Thursday by Kosovo Police who are linked to the school “Mehmet Akif”, which in Turkey by President Recep Tayip Erdogan are charged with being part of his ideological rival Fetullah Gulen's movement, is also a doctor who has been arrested by police.

Until it has become clear who has issued orders for their arrest and whether they have been extradited to Turkey or not, one of the six arrested is the main figure, a cardiologist who specializes in forensics, Osman Karakaya.

Insander found that his name Osman Karakaya relates to the name of one of Turkey's most popular doctors, Mehmet Haberal, which currently runs the “The Transplant Society”, a global transplant organisation that operates in many different countries like the United States, Canada, France, Spain, Finland and various European countries.

Haberal, who lives in America, had been part of a long court process against him that had begun in 2009. He was the detainee among the 275 others who were brought to trial under the name known as “Ergenekon” Where Turkey accused these of creating a state of Fettullah Gulen within the Turkey of Recep Tayip Erdogan.

Turkish prosecutors claimed those arrested were part of the Fetullah Gulen Movement and have made efforts to overthrow the Turkish government, led by Erdogan. Haberal according to official reports by Turkish media, was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison after found guilty based on some Spyed calls that distributed it as part of the Gylen Movement at the time.

After having been convicted of the Haberal transplant doctor, he was sent to Turkey's high-security prison, exactly in Silivri. But in February 2013, a fact - making group from the Human Rights Committee and the German Academy of Sciences had made a visit to Haberal.

The group included physician Osman Karakaya, then part of the Legal Medicine Council (Council of Foreign Medicine (ATK)) from August 2009 to March 2014, reports Insander.

This group of doctors and scientists during the fact-finding mission had released a medical report requiring the immediate and unconditional release of Haberal.

ISince finding Karakaya coming to Kosovo in August 2015, was the main figure that compiled the report saying that “Turkey had presented no convincing evidence of charges on which Haberal was convicted“.

At that time, Haberal was suffering in the fourth year of his prison sentence. This report, which Osman Karakaya had compiled, was used as a fact that many major world human rights organisations had demanded from Turkey and Erdogan the release of Haberal.

Following international pressure due to the report released in February 2013, six months later, in August, Turkey had released Dr. Haberal after four years, the three months of the 18 days he was being held in prison, setting him free as he waited for the Court of Appeals ruling in Turkey.

And this report, prepared by Osman Karakaya, had greatly exacerbated Erdogan's power. He was immediately dismissed Osman Karakayn from the State Legal Medicine Commission in Turkey and had begun his persecution.

After being fired in March 2014, six months later he had come to Kosovo, reports Insander. Karakaya had started working at a private hospital in Kosovo, where he worked as a cardiologist, while wanted by Turkey.

While finding Karakaya accused of having created a long-track report by the Fetullah Gulen Movement in order to increase international pressure on Turkey, considering an act of treason.

The betrayal in Turkey is a criminal offence that could be sentenced to life in prison. Therefore, if Osman Karakaya has been extradited to Turkey, he will face a fierce judicial process against him, accusing him of being “gylenist<1> who has worked at destroying Erdogan's power, despite the fact that the whole process against 275 arrested in 2009 has turned out to have not been based on facts.

In February 2016, a few months before what is known in Turkey as the failed “puc against Erdogan”, the judicial process “Ergenekon” was overturned by Turkey's highest Appeal Court. But those involved in this process, like cardiologist Osman Karakaya, have been persecuted without stopping.

Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan had several times urged Kosovo to close schools allegedly linked to Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen's movement, but Kosovo had rejected that requirement. Erdogan had later demanded the extradition of several Turkish citizens living in Kosovo, but the country had refused until Thursday, March 29th, 2018, when Kosovo Police arrested five Turkish citizens who are the school's manager “Mehmet Akif” and cardiologist Osman Karakaya.