Dr. Serkan Golge, an American citizen and a scientist working with NASA on their Mission to Mars program, was arrested while on vacation with his family, visiting his parents in Turkey. He was accused of being a participant in the failed coup attempt against the President of Turkey. He has always denied the charge. There appears to be very little corroborative evidence in this case and his sentence was recently dropped from 7.5 years to 5 years in prison. However, he needs to be released and have the charges dropped. CCS has written requesting that the U.S. government put the same effort they expended on Rev. Brunson’s release to have Dr. Golge released and returned to the United States as well.
Michael R. Pompeo
United States Secretary of State
2201 Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Pompeo:
The Committee of Concerned Scientists, as you are aware, is an organization of scientists, physicians, engineers and scholars dedicated to protecting the human rights and scientific freedom of colleagues around the world.
This past week you were able to have Rev. Andrew Brunson freed from a Turkish prison and returned to the United States where he met with the president. We are delighted to see him released (as we would be for anyone in such a terrible situation). There are still other dual citizens in Turkish prisons who have not been so fortunate, and there is one in particular for whom we are very concerned. We wrote you back in August requesting your help in having Serkan Golge released, as well. He is a significant asset to the United States and deserves your attention, much like that received by Rev. Brunson. Dr. Golge is a scientist who, when arrested, was an employee of NASA – a scientist who was an active participant in our current space program (which is something that the president has been focusing on lately). He still sits in prison in Turkey. The Turkish government insists that Dr. Serkan Golge is a Gulenist who was involved in the attempted cup back in July of 2016. There is no evidence of that whatsoever. His sentence has recently been reduced from 7.5 to 5 years. Dr. Golge (and his family) need similar efforts as those afforded Rev. Brunson to achieve his immediate release.
We trust that you will continue to work on his behalf and not abandon a U.S. citizen in trouble, especially one who has contributed to the good of the country. Please let us know that you will be actively working to achieve the release of Dr. Golge from prison and his safe return to the United States to continue to make his valuable contribution to the US Space program at NASA.
We look forward to your responses and a successful effort to free Dr. Golge.
Sincerely,
Joel L. Lebowitz, Paul H. Plotz, Walter Reich,
Eugene M. Chudnovsky, Alexander Greer
Co-Chairs, Committee of Concerned Scientists
Cc:
Donald J. Trump
President of the United State of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Tina Kaidanow
Acting Assistant Secretary of State for
Political-Military Affairs
The U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
General James N. Mattis
Secretary of Defense
U.S. Defense Department
1000 Defense – Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301
Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH)
U.S. Congress
506 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Senator James Lankford (OK)
U.S. Congress
316 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Thom Tillis (NC)
U.S. Congress
185 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Lindsey Graham (SC)
U.S. Congress
290 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Bob Corker
Chair, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
U.S. Congress
425 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Senator Bob Menendez
Ranking Member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
528 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Congressman Ed Royce
Chair, House Committee on Foreign Affairs
2310 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Congressman Eliot Engel
Ranking Member, House Committee on Foreign Affairs
U.S. Congress
2462 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Philip Kosnett
U.S. Charge d’Affaires, Turkey
U.S. Embassy Ankara
110 Atatürk Boulevard
Kavaklıdere, 06100 Ankara – Turkey
Everett Price
Staff, Helsinki Commission
234 Ford House Office Building
441 Second Street, SW
Washington, DC 20015
Following Rev. Brunson’s Release From Turkish Prison Last Week, Attention Needs Now to Turn to Freeing the U.S. NASA Scientist and Other Americans Detained in Turkish Prisons
(Article by Hollie McKay, Fox News, October 15, 2018 – “After Brunson Release, Spotlight Turns To NASA Scientist, Other Americans Jailed in Turkey”)