Çarşı coup case delayed, fans free to go to Liverpool away

An Istanbul court has postponed the “coup attempt” case against 35 members of Beşiktaş’s çArşı supporters’ group until April 2, amid a mixture of mockery and horror at the controversial trial.

The court also ruled to lift a ban on leaving Turkey for the 27 suspects that it heard on Dec. 16. The ban had been handed to all 35 suspects, and the probation on the remaining eight suspects remains in place.

The court had accepted on Sept. 11 the indictment charging members of çArşı with “attempting a coup” against the government after it took part in last year’s Gezi Park protests. According to the indictment, çArşı members are accused of attempting to capture the Prime Ministry’s offices in Ankara and Istanbul with the aim of creating “Arab Spring-like upheaval” and attempting to overthrow the government.

The lifting of the travel ban was welcomed by supporters, after suspect Erdem Işık had demanded such a decision during the Dec. 16 hearing, telling Judge Metin Tamirci that Beşiktaş has a crucial tie against Liverpool in the Europa League on Feb. 19 in the U.K.

When reminded of wiretappings that recorded him saying, “I have a cause now. I will either die here or keep resisting,” Işık said he was at home when the conversation took place and he was simply trying to show off to his girlfriend. 

Fellow suspect Erol Özdil, also known as “Dewe,” said he did not attend any rallies during the Gezi protests and he had used the masks that were found in a police search at his house while drawing placards for matches. Police had considered the masks to be evidence, as they were widely used by protesters as protection against tear gas.

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