5 November 2019 Information of EBCO's Turkish member organisation VR-DER: Conscientious objector Furkan Çelik indicted on charges of "alienating the public from military service"

Conscientious Objection (CO) Association (Turkey) member Furkan Çelik was indicted by the Office of Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor on charges of "alienating the public from military service." Furkan Çelik was accused in relation to the social media posts on CO Association's Twitter account.

The indictment by the Prosecutor's Office mentions three different Twitter posts, each considered to include "provocative content in favour of avoiding military service", on CO Association's account. Furkan Celik, who created the CO Association's Twitter account in 2013, was held responsible by the Prosecutor's Office.

Istanbul 16. Penal Court of First Instance admitted the indictment of the Prosecutor's Office, and Furkan Çelik will be on trial on charges of "alienating the public from military service".

The first trial is going to be held on 6th February 2020.