Petros Karatay, who was detained by Turkish police on Tuesday, has been sent to prison for “being a member of a terrorist organisation,” according to a report by pro-Kurdish Fırat news agency.
According to the report, Karatay is the only Christian Chaldean citizen in Gorümlü town in Şırnak’s Silopi district. He was detained by Turkish police on Tuesday during a raid to his home.
Silopi Criminal Court sent Karatay to prison for “being a member of a terrorist organisation” on Thursday The decision is based on the testimonies by secret informers and Karatay’s posts on social media. Karatay was taken to Şırnak T Type Prison.
In the 1990’s, over 4,000 Chaldeans who used to live in the Görümlü town immigrated to France, Belgium, Germany, Iraqi Kurdistan region and various other European countries. Karatay was one of them, immigrating to France from the Aksu (Herbol) village, and he had returned after the Kurdish peace process started in 2013.
