04.12.2025 09:55
The letter sent by the 11th President Abdullah Gül to Mehmet Altan, who was in prison in 2017, has emerged for the first time. In the letter highlighted by Ertuğrul Özkök in his column, Gül expressed, "I hope you regain your freedom as soon as possible."
According to the information shared by journalist Ertuğrul Özkök in his article today, a letter sent by the 11th President Abdullah Gül to the imprisoned academic and writer Mehmet Altan in 2017 has come to light.
"I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE RELEASED"
In his letter, Abdullah Gül stated that he responded late to the letter Altan had written to him, using the following expressions:
"Honestly, I thought you would be released at the first hearing and we would meet. As someone who knows that you are a democratic, libertarian, and conscientious university professor and journalist, I am very saddened by what you are going through."
Gül expressed that he had read the defenses of both Mehmet Altan and his brother Ahmet Altan and believed that a fair decision would be made, even if it was late.
"WE SUFFERED AS A FAMILY DURING THE '80 COUP"
In another notable part of the letter, Gül referred to his experiences during the 1980 coup, stating, "I was also taken away suddenly during the early days of our marriage in the '80 coup, and we suffered as a family."
"I WISH YOU TO REGAIN YOUR FREEDOM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE"
At the end of the letter, Gül expressed his good wishes to Altan with the following words:
"I wish you to regain your freedom as soon as possible and to leave these days behind, sending my regards to all of you."