ANKARA - Justice Minister Cemil Cicek stated on Tuesday that Turkey was insistent on extradition of Metin Kaplan, son of Cemalettin Kaplan, known as ''Black voice'' in Turkey, the head of the Union of Islamic Communities and Societies that was banned in Germany.
Following his meeting with German Interior Minister Otto Schily, Cicek told reporters that they discussed extradition of Kaplan to Turkey and he also brought onto agenda the same issue during his meeting with Schily in Rome.
Cicek said, ''we are insistent on Kaplan's extradition to Turkey'' and added that Schily was sincere in this issue.
But, German courts ''claimed that testimony of Kaplan taken by torture would be used as an evidence'' in their reasoned verdict not to extradite Kaplan, Cicek stated.
Cicek noted that he informed Schily about legal arrangements regarding crimes of torture.
He also gave information about the court decision that ''the evidence gained illegally could not be considered a base for verdicts,'' Cicek said.
Cicek said, ''Turkey has accepted trial of European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). A positive decision of this court is considered a reason for a re-trial.''
Stating that Schily demanded some information and documents, Cicek said that those information and documents would be sent to Germany through diplomatic canals.
Asked if Turkey made a written commitment, Cicek said, ''no, we haven't made any written commitment and it is not possible to make such a commitment. We will not give such a guarantee because our procedure code doesn't enable this. Our procedure code was taken from Germany.''
Replying to a question, Cicek said that Schily stated that they were ''searching ways to extradite'' Kaplan, but that he did not know what that meant in accordance with the German law.
Upon another question, Cicek said that it would be meaningless to commit that there would be no mal-treatment because laws did not allow that.
Cicek said, ''there are court decisions. There is no need for guarantee for issues considered crime under laws.''
It was the duty of the state to ensure life security of Kaplan in case he was extradited to Turkey, Cicek stated.
Cicek noted that there was not any demand on imprisonment of Kaplan in a certain prison.
Stating that extradition of Kaplan to a third country did not come onto agenda, Cicek said that such a thing was out of question.
(BRC-AÖ) 16.09.2003