Still no charges for Turkey's top philanthropist after year behind bars
Turkish philanthropist and businessman Osman Kavala has spent a year behind bars, but the judiciary has yet to explain why he's still in jail.
For those unfamiliar with why Osman Kavala matters for Turkey, a nutshell description would be that he is a civil society leader and philanthropist who stands out as the most prominent link between Turkish civil society and the outside world. The 61-year-old is also a wealthy businessman.
Kavala chairs Anadolu Kultur (Anatolia Culture), an Istanbul-based foundation that, in its own words, aims “to build bridges between different ethnic, religious and regional groups by sharing culture and art.” For more than a year, however, Kavala has been unable to pursue that mission because he has been locked up in a high-security prison in Silivri, near Istanbul.
