Be careful not to search for the Asya Termal hotel via Google in Turkey
The search for the Asya Termal hotel in Ankara via the popular search engine Google was recently considered by the authorities as proof of belonging to the terrorist-labeled Hizmet movement and may therefore become a reason for imprisonment.
In a striking dismay at the futility of the Turkish charges, Ankara-based human rights lawyer Gezi Dulkadir pointed to the search for a Google hotel as a piece of evidence: “In the decision against one of my clients, the court considered the search for the Asya Termal Hotel through Google as proof of belonging to a terrorist organization. Google search for hotels has become incriminating evidence. Here is Turkey, where you become a hero or a terrorist at the click of a button”, Zaman newspaper reported.
The hotel hosted many of the AKP’s meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before designating the service movement a terrorist organization.
The lawyer touched on the decision of the third circuit of the Supreme Court to consider the presence of the Actifhaber application on the personal phone of the wife of an accused person as evidence of belonging to a terrorist organization, and said: “This is inconsistent with the principle of individuality of crime and punishment”.
Under the charge of service movement membership, following a 2016 coup attempt, the Turkish government fired thousands of their jobs, arrested others, and confiscated their property.
