The Turkish government wants Ipek to face trial in Ankara for allegedly funding the 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, claims that he denies. Credit: AP
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A prominent critic of Turkey’s president exiled in London has been spared extradition to his home country after a judge found the case against him was politically motivated.
The Turkish government wants Akin Ipek to face trial in Ankara for allegedly funding the 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, claims that he denies.
In a ruling handed down today at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, however, District Judge John Zani denied Turkey’s extradition request.
He said Mr Ipek was being targeted for his political beliefs and that he risked inhumane treatment in Turkish prisons.
Turkey says it will appeal the ruling.
Its justice minister called the decision “unacceptable”.
Mining and media magnate
Mr Ipek was chairman of a multi-billion pound Turkish mining consortium.
He also owned over 20 media companies that were critical of Mr Erdogan.
He fled to London in 2015 after the Turkish government seized his assets and shut down his media outlets. His brother was arrested and imprisoned.
At the time, Turkey claimed they took action against Mr İIek because he was funding and supporting a banned movement led by exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Turkey says Fethullah Gulen leads a terrorist movement, but many outside observers dispute the designation. Credit: AP
Turkey banned the Gulenist movement in 2015, saying it was a terrorist organisation.
Outside observers, including the Foreign Office, say this designation is inappropriate.
Mr Ipek has never denied being an admirer of Mr Gulen, but denies any criminal wrongdoing.
Coup attempt
In 2016, a faction of the Turkish army staged a coup against President Erdogan, saying he had become increasingly authoritarian.
The coup failed, and Erdogan subsequently blamed the so-called Gulenist Terror Organisation, or FETO, for the attempted putsch.
Soldiers blockading a bridge during the 2016 Turkish coup attempt. Credit: AP
Mr Gulen has denied being behind the coup, saying Mr Erdogan staged it in order to cement his grip on power.
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee says there’s little hard evidence that Gulen or his movement was responsible.
Since the coup, Turkey’s government has launched extradition claims against hundreds of Gulen supporters living in exile.
In a visit to London last November, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, pressed Prime Minister Theresa May to send Gulenists in the UK back to Turkey for trial for involvement in the coup.
Theresa May welcomed her Turkish counterpart, Binali Yıldırım, to London last November. Credit: AP
‘Fundraising for terrorism’
In July, British police arrested Mr Ipek, after Turkey requested his extradition. Turkey claimed he was guilty of nineteen crimes, including “attempting to abolish the government of Turkey”, “preparation of terrorist acts” and “fundraising for terrorism purposes”.
Turkey claimed that Mr Ipek and two of his employees had used his UK-based mining company to launder money that went to support the 2016 coup. Mr Ipek categorically denied the charges.
At his extradition hearing in September, Mr Ipek’s lawyers said he was being targeted for his political beliefs. They added he would not get a fair trial in his home country and faced possible ‘inhumane treatment’ in prison there.
Request rejected
In his ruling, District Judge John Zani said that Mr Ipek would likely get a fair trial in Turkey.
But he found that the charges against him were politically motivated and agreed that he would face unacceptable conditions in Turkey’s prisons.
As a result, he found that the extradition would violate the 2003 Extradition Act, and rejected Turkey’s request.
The judge was only required to rule on whether Mr Ipek should be extradited, not on whether or not he was guilty of the crimes of which he was accused.
‘Always confident’
Speaking after the verdict, Mr Ipek said he was always confident in the British justice system, adding that he would continue speak on behalf of those whom he said had ‘no right’ to speak in Turkey.
His lawyer, Michael Drury, was scathing about the UK’s decision to pursue Turkey’s request, saying it was a ‘clear case of obviously innocent men being persecuted on perverse grounds’.
‘Unacceptable’
On Twitter, Abdulhamit Gul, Turkey’s justice minister, slammed the court’s decision, calling it “unacceptable”.
He insisted that the choice to deny Turkey’s request was itself politically motivated.
The Crown Prosecution Service, which is pursuing the extradition request on Turkey’s behalf, said it would likely appeal the decision to the High Court.
Mr Ipek and his co-defendants will remain on bail for the next two weeks, while the government considers its options.
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HeadlineCourt refuses Turkish request to extradite tycoon Akin Ipek
Short HeadlineCourt refuses Turkish tycoon extradition
StandfirstAkin Ipen is accused of funding the 2016 coup attempt, but a judge says charges against him are "politically motivated".
A prominent critic of Turkey’s president exiled in London has been spared extradition to his home country after a judge found the case against him was politically motivated.
The Turkish government wants Akin Ipek to face trial in Ankara for allegedly funding the 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, claims that he denies.
In a ruling handed down today at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, however, District Judge John Zani denied Turkey’s extradition request.
He said Mr Ipek was being targeted for his political beliefs and that he risked inhumane treatment in Turkish prisons.
Turkey says it will appeal the ruling.
Its justice minister called the decision “unacceptable”.
Mining and media magnate
Mr Ipek was chairman of a multi-billion pound Turkish mining consortium.
He also owned over 20 media companies that were critical of Mr Erdogan.
He fled to London in 2015 after the Turkish government seized his assets and shut down his media outlets. His brother was arrested and imprisoned.
At the time, Turkey claimed they took action against Mr İIek because he was funding and supporting a banned movement led by exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen.
Turkey says Fethullah Gulen leads a terrorist movement, but many outside observers dispute the designation. Credit: AP
Turkey banned the Gulenist movement in 2015, saying it was a terrorist organisation.
Outside observers, including the Foreign Office, say this designation is inappropriate.
Mr Ipek has never denied being an admirer of Mr Gulen, but denies any criminal wrongdoing.
Coup attempt
In 2016, a faction of the Turkish army staged a coup against President Erdogan, saying he had become increasingly authoritarian.
The coup failed, and Erdogan subsequently blamed the so-called Gulenist Terror Organisation, or FETO, for the attempted putsch.
Soldiers blockading a bridge during the 2016 Turkish coup attempt. Credit: AP
Mr Gulen has denied being behind the coup, saying Mr Erdogan staged it in order to cement his grip on power.
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee says there’s little hard evidence that Gulen or his movement was responsible.
Since the coup, Turkey’s government has launched extradition claims against hundreds of Gulen supporters living in exile.
In a visit to London last November, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, pressed Prime Minister Theresa May to send Gulenists in the UK back to Turkey for trial for involvement in the coup.
Theresa May welcomed her Turkish counterpart, Binali Yıldırım, to London last November. Credit: AP
‘Fundraising for terrorism’
In July, British police arrested Mr Ipek, after Turkey requested his extradition. Turkey claimed he was guilty of nineteen crimes, including “attempting to abolish the government of Turkey”, “preparation of terrorist acts” and “fundraising for terrorism purposes”.
Turkey claimed that Mr Ipek and two of his employees had used his UK-based mining company to launder money that went to support the 2016 coup. Mr Ipek categorically denied the charges.
At his extradition hearing in September, Mr Ipek’s lawyers said he was being targeted for his political beliefs. They added he would not get a fair trial in his home country and faced possible ‘inhumane treatment’ in prison there.
Request rejected
In his ruling, District Judge John Zani said that Mr Ipek would likely get a fair trial in Turkey.
But he found that the charges against him were politically motivated and agreed that he would face unacceptable conditions in Turkey’s prisons.
As a result, he found that the extradition would violate the 2003 Extradition Act, and rejected Turkey’s request.
The judge was only required to rule on whether Mr Ipek should be extradited, not on whether or not he was guilty of the crimes of which he was accused.
‘Always confident’
Speaking after the verdict, Mr Ipek said he was always confident in the British justice system, adding that he would continue speak on behalf of those whom he said had ‘no right’ to speak in Turkey.
His lawyer, Michael Drury, was scathing about the UK’s decision to pursue Turkey’s request, saying it was a ‘clear case of obviously innocent men being persecuted on perverse grounds’.
‘Unacceptable’
On Twitter, Abdulhamit Gul, Turkey’s justice minister, slammed the court’s decision, calling it “unacceptable”.
He insisted that the choice to deny Turkey’s request was itself politically motivated.
The Crown Prosecution Service, which is pursuing the extradition request on Turkey’s behalf, said it would likely appeal the decision to the High Court.
Mr Ipek and his co-defendants will remain on bail for the next two weeks, while the government considers its options.