Turkish man convicted for assassination plot against Kurds lives unchecked in France
Zekeriya Çelikbilek, a Turkish man convicted in Belgium for his involvement in an assassination plot against Kurdish politicians, is living freely in France, raising questions about his potential connections to French intelligence, as reported by journalists from Le Point magazine on Tuesday.
On 2 April, Belgium’s Appeal Court sentenced Zekeriya Çelikbilek and another for plotting against Kurdish politicians. However, as reported by the French magazine Le Point, Çelikbilek, residing in Reims, France, has seen no change in his daily life or legal status in France.
The case involves Çelikbilek’s participation in a 2017 plot against KONGRA-GEL* co-chair Remzi Kartal and Kurdistan National Congress** (KNK) Executive Council member Zübeyir Aydar.
The gravity of the situation is further underscored by France’s continuation to deport Kurdish refugees, including the recent deportation of Mehmet Kopal to Turkey on Tuesday. Upon his arrival, Kopal was paraded on Turkish television by the Turkish police, a move criticised by the Kurdish Democratic Council of France (CDK-F).
The Le Point report suggests that social media posts had already hinted at Çelikbilek’s connections, particularly with İsmail Hakkı Musa, the former Turkish ambassador to Paris and ex-deputy head of MİT, the Turkish intelligence service. However, the leniency observed from the French government and witness testimonies suggest that Çelikbilek might also have ties to French intelligence.
French journalists report that during an interrogation, Çelikbilek confessed to collaborating with unspecified agencies, in exchange for information about the Turkish community in France, which secured him a residency permit. Additionally, another figure within the Turkish network, known as “Little Bird,” corroborated Çelikbilek’s cooperation with French services during an encounter with the anti-terrorist sub-directorate of the judicial police (Sdat).
According to lawyer Jan Fermon, Çelikbilek is likely to have had a role in the 2013 triple assassinations in Paris***, since he boasted about his involvement to a Belgian he attempted to recruit. “His connections to the Turkish state are obvious,” Fermon says.
Despite being interrogated multiple times by French authorities, no action has followed the Belgian court’s ruling, leading the Belgian lawyer to point his finger at politicians who “do nothing”.
“Was there pressure from a closely allied country?” the Brussels attorney asks, further emphasising the role of France.
Source » medyanews.net
