Turkish family files new complaint against UAE, US consulate

ISTANBUL

The family of a detained Turkish businessman filed a new criminal complaint Wednesday against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the US Consulate General in Istanbul for "crimes against humanity."

The family and lawyers of businessman Mehmet Ali Ozturk arrived at the Istanbul Justice Palace in northwestern Turkey to file the complaint with the Istanbul Prosecutor General's Office for new criminal charges.

After that, Mehmet Ali Ozturk's wife Emine Ozturk and son Abdullah Ozturk, along with their attorneys Mete Gencer and Gulden Sonmez, issued a press statement in front of the Istanbul courthouse.

According to the lawyers, a Turkish businessman and his wife were held in February 2018 at the Gulfood Fair in Dubai.

Emine Ozturk was sent to Turkey the next day, but there was no word on Mehmet Ali Ozturk's whereabouts for three and a half months.

They later learned that he was tortured and sentenced to life in prison for allegedly supporting terrorism. Ozturk has been imprisoned at Al Whatba Prison for three years in poor conditions.

Lawyers claimed that some US officials were complicit in the "crime" during the interrogation of their client, adding that the US Consulate General in Istanbul collected intelligence on Ozturk and passed it to UAE.

In the additional complaint, the lawyers said they have asked the prosecutor's office to take action against officials of the US Consulate General in Turkish metropolis Istanbul.

The lawyers stated that Ozturk was subjected to crimes against humanity.

The lawyers submitted the evidence and information about these claims to the Attorney General's Office, emphasizing that Ozturk's condition has been worsening every day.

Lawyers Mete Gencer and Gulden Sonmez filed a criminal complaint with the Istanbul Prosecutor General's Office on Dec. 11, 2020.

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office, after receiving the complaint, launched an investigation and asked the UAE to initiate proceedings against the officials involved for crimes against Ozturk and his family.

*Writing by Merve Berker