AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

FACTS OF THE CASE:

On August 16, 2005,Yektan Turkyilmaz, a Turkish citizen and Ph.D. candidate in anthropology at Duke University, was released from prison and given a suspended sentence of two years in prison. According to reports, he must remain in Armenia until August 31st, when the verdict officially comes into force. After that time, he will be free to return to the U.S. to continue his graduate studies. The judge also upheld the confiscation of all 88 books, though ordered the return of Turkyilmaz's electronic research materials.

Turkyilmaz was arrested on July 17th, 2005 and was indicted on July 21st for attempting to remove culturally valuable books from Armenia. He had bought most of these books from second-hand bookstores and received some as gifts. He was apparently unaware that permission is required to take books that are over 50 years old out of the country. The Yerevan court convicted Turkyilmaz of two counts of smuggling, but commuted the sentence, as he was cooperative with investigators and partially admitted his guilt.

Turkyilmaz was the first Turkish scholar to request and receive access to the Armenian National Archives. His studies reflect on the historical formulation of identity and nationality in Eastern Anatolia. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports that over 200 U.S., Turkish, and Armenian scholars sent open letters to Armenian president Robert Kocharian calling for the release of Turkyilmaz, who is a Turkish citizen of Kurdish origin.

(Sources of information for this case include: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty - Armenian service, and Personal correspondence with coworkers and supporters.)

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

No action required at this time. Many thanks to all those who sent letters of appeal on this case.

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