Meşale Tolu

Meşale Tolu Çorlu (born Tolu in 1984) is a German journalist and translator of Kurdish descent.[1] She was arrested in Turkey for allegations on spreading propaganda for an illegal organization and her membership in the organization.

Meşale Tolu Çorlu
Born
Meşalle Tolu

1984 (age 36–37)
Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
NationalityGerman
EducationEthics, Spanish language
Alma materGoethe University Frankfurt
OccupationJournalist, translator
Children1

Early life

Meşale Tolu was born to second-generation emigrated Turkish parents as the youngest of three siblings in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany in 1984.[2] Her father Ali Rıza Tolu is an auto mechanic. She was reared by her grand mother after her mother died in a road accident during a holiday trip to Turkey in 1990.[3]

She completed her secondary education with the high school diploma Abitur at the Anna-Essinger-Gymnasium in Ulm. Tolu studied Ethics and Spanish language at the Goethe University Frankfurt for teaching in a gymnasium.[4]

In 2007, Tolu acquired German citizenship, and renounced her Turkish citizenship. After she gave birth to her son Serkan in Neu-Ulm end 2014,[2] she moved with her husband Suat Çorlu to Istanbul, Turkey to work as a reporter and translator.[5] However, her permanent residence remained in Neu-Ulm, Bavaria, Germany.[6][7][8]

Journalist and translator career

From 2014 on, Tolu Çorlu worked in Istanbul, Turkey for various media. She was employed by the radio station "Özgür Radyo". The radio station was closed by a governmental decree after the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt. She also worked as a translator for the leftist news agency "Etkin Haber Ajansı" (ETHA).[2][9][10]

Arrest in Turkey

Around 4:30 local time on May 1, 2017,[11] an anti-terror squad of the Turkish Police forcibly raided the residence of the family Çorlu in Kartal, Istanbul Province.[12][10] As her husband was already arrested in Ankara on April 5, she was alone at home with her two and half year old son. After her arrest, her residence was searched and devastated. She committed her child to a neighbor's care as she was hauled off by the police. Her brother Hüseyin went the same day to Istanbul to take care of the child. Later, her father took over the care of the little boy in the residence in Istanbul.[2][4]

Tolu Çorlu was accused of spreading propaganda for the illegal Marxist–Leninist Communist Party of Turkey (MLKP) and membership in the organization.[2][7][10][11] She was detained in the Bakırköy Women's Prison on May 6.[10] She was incarcerated in a prison quarter for 24 inmates.[11] After two weeks, her son could stay with her in the prison.[11] Only in the beginning of June, German diplomats were allowed to visit her in the prison.[13] In August, the public prosecutor demanded 15-year sentence in prison for her.[14] The court ruled in a routine session on August 23 that she had to remain in detention due to a possible risk of absconding and a not yet completed collection of evidence.[15] The first court session, at which 18 suspects were involved, took place in Silivri, Istanbul on October 9. She rejected all allegations and complained about her detention.[16] Mid December 2017, the court decided her release from prison. However, she was not allowed to leave the country.[17] She had to report her presence at the police station every Monday. The next court hearing of Tolu Çorlu was set for April 26, 2018.[18]

On August 20, 2018 a Turkish court revoked her ban from leaving the country and Tolu travelled back to Germany on August 26.[19][20] At that time her husband was still banned from leaving Turkey, but later in October of the same year a Turkish court revoked his travel ban.[21] In 2019 Tolu published a book on her case entitled „Mein Sohn bleibt bei mir!“: Als politische Geisel in türkischer Haft und warum es noch nicht zu Ende ist ("My son stays with me!: As a political hostage in Turkish imprisonment and why it hasn't ended yet").[22]

References
  1. https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/nach-haft-in-der-tuerkei-wie-mesale-tolu-versucht-wieder-im-alltag-anzukommen/20842532.html
  2. "Familie hat seit 14 Tagen keinen Kontakt zu Mesale Tolu". swp.de (in German). 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  3. Dodel, Katharina (2017-05-14). "Inhaftierte Journalistin: Wie Freunde und Familie für Mesale Tolu kämpfen". Augsburger Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  4. Bäßler ,Rüdiger (2017-05-12). "Berlin fordert Kontakt zu Mesale Tolu". Stuttgarter Nachrichten (in German). Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  5. "Anwältin kritisiert türkische Behörden". Stuttgarter Zeitung (in German). 2017-05-15. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  6. Nordhausen, Frank (2017-05-12). "Türkei provoziert mit Festnahme neuen Streit". Frankfurter Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  7. Celikkan, Ali & Daniel-Dylan Böhmer (2017-05-12). "Sie haben ihr nicht mal erlaubt, einen Anwalt anzurufen". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 2018-02-04.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  8. "In der Türkei festgenommene Übersetzerin kommt aus Neu-Ulm". Schwäbische.de (in German). 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  9. "Inhaftierte Deutsche in der Türkei - das ist über den Fall bekannt". Spiegel Online (in German). 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  10. "Türkei nimmt deutsche Übersetzerin fest". Handelsblatt (in German). 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  11. "Ulmer Journalistin sitzt mit Sohn (2) und 24 Frauen in Zelle". Augsburger Nachricten (in German). 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  12. "Bundesregierung fordert Zugang zu inhaftierter Deutscher". Spiegel Online (in German). 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  13. "Den Umständen entsprechend gut". Tagesschau (in German). 2017-06-02. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  14. "Mesale Tolu: Seit 100 Tagen im Gefängnis". Schwäbische.de (in German). 2017-08-08. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  15. "Mesale Tolu bleibt in Haft". Tagesschau (in German). 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  16. "Deutsche Mesale Tolu: "Ich fordere meinen Freispruch"". Der Tagesspiegel (in German). 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  17. Popp, Maximilian (2017-12-18). "Mesale Tolu kommt frei - darf Türkei aber nicht verlassen". Spiegel Online (in German). Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  18. Kálnoky, Boris (2017-12-19). "Was hinter dem Durcheinander um Tolus Freilassung steckt". Die Welt (in German). Retrieved 2018-02-04.
  19. Mesale Tolu darf Türkei verlassen. Spiegel Online, 2018-08-20 (German)
  20. Mesale Tolu in Stuttgart gelandet. Spiegel Online, 2018-08-26 (German)
  21. Tolus Ehemann darf die Türkei verlassen - Gericht hebt Ausreisesperre auf. TAZ, 16 October 2018 (German)
  22. Mesale Tolu: Lage in der Türkei weiter besorgniserregend. Welt.de, 24 April 2019 (German)
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