I Am Free — but Turkey Is Not
Max Zirngast, the Jacobin contributor jailed for several months in Turkey, was acquitted on all charges last week. Here, in his first English-language article since the ruling, he reflects on the trial, the repressive state of Turkish politics — and why he’ll keep fighting for democracy and socialism.
Max Zirngast (third from left) with his lawyer, Murat Yılmaz, and two of the other (now formerly) accused, Hatice Göz and Mithatcan Türetken. (Johanna Broese / Free Max Zirngast Solidaritätskampagne)
On September 11, 2018, I was taken into custody along with two friends of mine following a 6 AM raid by Turkish anti-terror police. Last week, exactly a year later, my comrades and I were fully acquitted of “membership in an armed terrorist organization.” We had spent roughly three and a half months in prison and had been barred from leaving Turkey even after our release.
Both the verdict and the timing came as somewhat of a surprise. In recent years, as the regime led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan cracks down on opponents of all ideological stripes, politically motivated trials like ours usually drag on for years and involve multiple court hearings. For us, it only took a year and two court hearings.
So what explains the relatively speedy acquittal? And what does it tell us about the broader state of Turkish politics?
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