Brother of Kurdish immigrant restaurateur deported - Accused of terrorism in Turkey

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-070515parlak,1,1151040.story?coll=chi-news-hed

By Tim Jones
Tribune national correspondent
Published May 15, 2007, 6:39 PM CDT


The federal government has deported the brother of a Kurdish immigrant and west Michigan restaurateur whose own residency status remains in doubt because of alleged ties to terrorism in his native Turkey.

After the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Huseyin Parlak's motion to stay a removal order, the Department of Homeland Security in Detroit arrested Parlak on Monday and promptly put him on a plane to Istanbul. Parlak arrived in Turkey early Tuesday and was released to the custody of his family, his brother Ibrahim Parlak said.

Ibrahim Parlak, who runs a popular café in the Lake Michigan resort town of Harbert, near Benton Harbor, called the deportation "un-American."

"This is not just an act against Huseyin, it's an act against American values," Parlak said. "The Department of Homeland Security can hide behind Sept. 11 and act like a kidnapper."

[knitter4democracy]

1. I've met Mr. Parlak.

He used to have a restaurant in Kalamazoo, and he is well-known and loved in this area. He was imprisoned for ages, given a crappy trial with no real verdict on whether he's okay or not, and now this? Disgusting.

These men are not terrorists. Period.

[Withywindle]

3. I know people who know him too

Some people from that area who live in Chicago now, and some Chicago people who have summer houses near there, etc.

Everyone I know who's met him says he's a wonderful man and his family does NOT deserve any of this garbage.

[knitter4democracy]

4. The government's case is ridiculous.

The group he was with as a young man was retroactively named a terrorist group by our government (but only in Turkey--they're our allies in Iraq) in an agreement with Turkey. When he was with them, our government didn't care about them at all. He served his time in Turkey, was released, and now they're worried about him? Ridiculous!

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

6. You are absolutely correct, knitter4democracy.

I have friends that have a summer home in Michigan and they are very familiar with Mr. Parlak and they feel the exact same way about him and his family as you do.

This is just despicable.

[azurnoir]

2. expect more of this kind of stuff

among with stories like the stoning death of a Yazidi Kurdish girl, this the price of the Kurds refusing to go along with the oil deal in Iraq.

[genie_weenie]

5. The Kurds are Turkey's enemies, therefore

Kurds are terrorists. Q.E.D.

[knitter4democracy]

7. The Kurds are our friends in Iraq, therefore

this is a bunch of crap. It's the same group that we're working with as allies in Iraq, but it's on the terror watch list? Crazy.