BISHKEK/ANKARA (AA) - Two Turkish students actually under arrest in Kyrgyzstan on charges of killing two Kyrgyz citizens expect Turkey to help them.
Mehmet Turkmenoglu (27) and Asim Osman Kilinc (28), both students of Kyrgyz-Turkish International Manas University (KTMU), were arrested and put to jail in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek on charges of killing two Kyrgyz people. Masallah Ulusoy, friend of Turkmenoglu and Kilinc, said, ''they are innocent and they are suffering too much.''
Affirming that Turkey had the power to save these two young people, Ulusoy said they expected Turkish officials to deal with the issue. Ulusoy noted that they applied to Turkish Parliament, Prime Minister's Office and MFA, but they did not receive a satisfactory answer.
Ulusoy said that he could talk to Turkmenoglu and Kilinc only by phone, adding that they were not in good health.
Two Kyrgyz students were killed in Bishkek on September 2002 and another one was injured.
Turkmenoglu and Kilinc were arrested on charges of killing these Kyrgyz students. Turkmenoglu was sentenced to 24 years of imprisonment and Kilinc to 23 years. Later their imprisonment was commuted to 17 years.
Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul brought the issue onto the agenda during his visit to this country and Kyrgyz Prime Minister Kurmanbek Bakiyev said that he would deal with this matter personally, it was learned.
2005-05-09