Turkish prosecutor further remanded in custody for breaking Irish immigration laws
Tom Tuite
A former prosecutor claiming he faces years in jail following the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey has been further remanded in custody pending a plea to breaking Irish immigration law.
Sadullah Ovacikli, 44, from Turkey, who has no fixed address in Ireland, was stopped at Dublin Airport on September 11th after arriving at Terminal 1 and was charged with two offences.
He did not apply for bail and faced his second hearing when he appeared before Judge Alan Mitchell at Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday. However, he deferred making a bail application.
Defence barrister Eloise Flynn said her client sought an adjournment because a potential address was available for her client.
The defendant listened to the proceedings with the aid of an interpreter but did not address the court.
Judge Mitchell remanded him in custody to appear again on September 25th and said gardaí must have 48 hours notice of any intention to apply for bail.
He also said the case would be listed for a plea to be entered.
Mr Ovacikli was accused of not possessing a valid passport or other equivalent document to establish his identity and nationality and failing to produce a passport on demand.
At his first hearing last week, Garda Christopher Glennon said the accused made no reply when charged, and the officer objected to bail.
He cited flight risk concerns, saying Mr Ovacikli had “no ties to the State” or any ID documents.
However, he added, “Yes, we have established his identity.”
The defence had asked the prison authorities to note that the accused would be a vulnerable person in custody due to his background, and there were potential safety concerns.
The proceedings heard the accused had to flee after working for the government in Turkey as a prosecutor until the attempted coup there in 2016, and he had received a seven-year sentence, which has recently been affirmed.
His charges in Ireland are under the Immigration Act and carry 12-month sentences and a maximum €3,000 fine. Legal aid has been granted.
