Istanbul Court Frees Faik Meral, Owner Of Green Passport Used By Mob Boss

ISTANBUL (CIHAN) - An Istanbul Court on Monday released Faik Meral to be tried in absentia
Faik Meral (56), owner of the green passport used by crime organization boss Alaattin Çakici to flee Turkey, appeared before the Istanbul Public Prosecution Office following his interrogation in the Security Authority.
The Public Prosecution Office later sent the ex-officer of the Turkish National Intelligence Service (MIT) to the relevant court with the arrest demand on charges of aiding and abetting mob boss Alaaddin Cakici. However, the Istanbul No:11 Heavy Punishment Court ruled for the release of Faik Meral to be tried in absentia.
Faik Meral, whose green passport was used by Turkish mob boss Alaaddin Cakici to flee Turkey, was detained by Turkish police on Friday in the western Turkish city of Izmir.
The 57-year old official reported to have entered the Turkish National Intelligence Service (MIT) in 1967, retiring from the MIT in 1999. The MIT undersecretary said on Friday that it had had no connection with the person in question since 1999. " Faik Meral has had no direct or indirect connection with the Turkish Intelligence Service since his resignation," the MIT said in statement on Friday.
Faik Meral told his interrogators that he had obtained the passport from the Izmir Security Authorities in 1992. It was discovered that he had had the passport extended for 4 years in 2002.
The former MIT official said during interrogation that he had lost the passport used by Alaaddin Cakýcý.
It has been discovered that fugitive organized crime boss Alaaddin Çakici had used the special "Green Passport" of retired MIT official, Meral to flee Turkey. The photo on the passport had been doctored while its code number had been falsified.
Çakici was captured on Wednesday night in Graz, Austria as the result of joint efforts of the Austrian Police and the Turkish Security Directorate.