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Six Turks and two expatriates have been charged by a Turkish court with opening a Christian training institute without legal permission. If convicted, they face a potential jail sentence of 18 months to three years.

The case was opened in response to a police raid last May in Istanbul's Avcilar district, where the eight Christians were arrested during a regular weeknight Bible study in their rented facilities registered as a place of worship. Those arrested and brought to trial included Australian Ian McLure and an American colleague.

According to the charges filed June 2 by State Prosecutor Hamit Atansay, the accused had violated articles 677 and 2911 of the civil administrative code, which require official permission to open any type of training institute.

As leader of the small Christian congregation, McLure was accused of renting a hall "to teach the other defendants the Christian religion and gather them on designated days of the week for religious worship."

All eight defendants were required by an official summons to attend the initial trial hearing held on September 9 at the Kucukcekmece Criminal Court of First Instance. After the first seven had corroborated their written testimony recorded during their May arrest, McLure was called before the judge.

"We were reading the Bible, praying and singing in our meetings," McLure testified, as recorded in the court minutes. "We were not involved in any other activities whatever. Nor did I open any kind of training institute."

When asked by the judge why he had failed to obtain permission for these religious meetings, as charged by the prosecution, McLure replied, "I gave official notice to the authorities, as required."

Under Turkish law, religious groups are required to inform local authorities of premises designated for religious worship, listing the days and times of regular meetings. McLure had sent this formal notification to the Avcilar Provincial District offices on January 16, 1998, and posted a copy of the document in the rented facility.

At the close of the September hearing, the judge ordered an investigation to confirm whether McLure's notification had been duly filed with the proper authorities. The next hearing was set for April 12 of next year, delaying a verdict on the case for another seven months.

According to Atilla Tanman, the lawyer representing McLure and his fellow defendants, his clients are not required to appear at the April hearing, which he expects to conclude the case.

Meanwhile, a separate court in Istanbul's Eyup district ruled on September 8 to dismiss charges filed by McLure against "misuse of authority" by the team of security police who disrupted their Bible study and arrested the participants. McLure accused the police of ongoing harassment and obstruction of the free practice of religious activities. Judge Ali Asker Kaza dismissed the case for lack of evidence.

McClure has also filed a separate case against the security police chief who had subjected him to physical and verbal abuse during the May arrest. A hearing on these alleged violations of Article 245 of the Turkish Penal Code is set for December 18.

In his official complaint submitted June 5, McLure noted that Security Police Chief Ahmet Erkut had struck him several times in the face until his lip bled, and cursed him repeatedly during more than an hour of questioning. An official doctor's examination corroborated McLure's injury.

According to defense lawyer Tanman, the police chief had also threatened that McClure would "never be allowed to carry out these worship meetings in such a way again."

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November (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44