Tag: Malatya

Turkey moves Malatya murder trial court

March 11, 2015 Turkey Ankara, Diyarbakir, Istanbul, Malatya, Turkey

In still another delay in a years-long trial over the 2007 murders of three Christians in southeast Turkey, the Zirve Publishing House trial is to be moved away from the place where the murders happened, Malatya, to another province. The pending court transfer stems from a legislative amendment which has . . . Read More

Accused perpetrators released in Malatya murder trial

January 22, 2015 Turkey Malatya, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

n A Turkish criminal court has released two former military officers and an Islamic university researcher who had been jailed for nearly four years on suspected involvement in the 2007 murders of three Christians in southeast Turkey. At the 101st hearing of the case Jan. 21, the Malatya First High . . . Read More

Second Turkish trial implicates authorities in planned attack on church leaders

November 4, 2014 Turkey Istanbul, Izmit, Malatya, Turkey

Pastor Emre Karaali of the Izmit Protestant Church on the steps of the Courthouse in Izmit with his lawyer after the 3rd hearing on Oct. 21, 2014World Watch Monitor In a surprise October decision, a Turkish judge has filed a criminal complaint against a police chief and an army . . . Read More

Malatya murder trial defendants exploit Turkish government ‘witch-hunt’

October 22, 2014 Turkey Fethullah Gülen, Malatya, Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Suspects accused of helping to orchestrate the brutal murders of three Christians in southeast Turkey in 2007 are now blaming the crime on the Hizmet movement, an influential Islamic group accused of treason by the ruling Turkish government. Testimony from two former military officers and an Islamic university researcher dominated . . . Read More

Malatya murders fault of Turkish ultranationalists

August 20, 2014 Turkey Malatya, Terrorism, Turkey

Defendants at the 95th hearing over the murder of three Christians in Malatya, eastern Turkey told the Malatya High Criminal Court on 18 Aug. that a “parallel structure”, an ultranationalist cabal of retired generals, politicians, journalists and mafia members were responsible for the deaths. Prosecution lawyer Erdal Dogan said the . . . Read More

Church website blocked as ‘porn’ by Turkish parliament

May 30, 2014 Turkey Bursa, Censorship, Diyarbakir, Malatya

The home page of the Diyarbakir Church website. It was blocked by the Turkish government inside parliament offices because it was deemed “pornography.www.diyarbakirkilisesi.com/ Aykan Erdemir, a member of Turkey’s parliament, plans to travel to Diyarbakir Church in mid-June. This week, to prepare for his visit, he looked up the . . . Read More

Malatya murder trial postponed again

April 11, 2014 Turkey Churches, Malatya, Protestants, Turkey

Seven years after three Christians were tortured and killed in southeast Turkey, the Malatya trial’s 93rd hearing has been postponed for another 10 weeks, until June 23. Under judicial changes enacted last month, the murder trial set to resume on April 10 has been transferred to Malatya’s First High Criminal . . . Read More

Sara got married

March 26, 2014 Turkey Assyrians, Islamic extremism, Kidnapping, Kurds, Malatya, Mardin, Marriage, Midyat, Mor Gabriel Monastery, Syriacs, Turkey, Women

On March 8, International Women’s Day, many of the people in southeastern Turkey only want to discuss one thing. She is Sara, an 18-year-old Assyrian/Syriac woman, who was allegedly kidnapped by sympathizers of Huda-Part, Allah’s party, the Kurdish equivalent to Hezbollah. Others say she merely followed her heart and converted . . . Read More

Malatya murder suspects out of jail

March 12, 2014 Turkey Malatya

As expected, the five men suspected of killing three Christians in Malatya, Turkey, nearly seven years ago have been released from jail as their trial continues. The Malatya First High Criminal Court released the suspects March 8 in response to a new law, which took effect last week, that reduces . . . Read More

Malatya murder suspects to be set free

March 5, 2014 Turkey Kurds, Malatya, Trabzon

A 2008 snapshot of the five Malayta murder suspects.World Watch Monitor Five Turkish murder suspects on trial for torturing and killing three Christians in Malatya nearly seven years ago are expected to be set free on bail within the next few days, before the conclusion of their trial in . . . Read More

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