Topic: Celal Kildag

The Cayman Islands is a wonderful place to visit, whether it’s for a few short hours off a cruise ship or on an extended stay-over vacation. Our population takes great pride in our “CaymanKind” hospitality and our reputation for being able to attract “repeat visitors.” We will not take umbrage, however, if one particular person chooses never to return to our shores – German cruise ship tourist Celal Kildag, whose “three-hour tour” was extended to four months as he awaited a local court’s decision that could have sent him off to a Turkish prison … or worse.

A cruise ship tourist has spoken of his joy and relief after being told he will not be sent to Turkey to face trial for alleged terrorist activity nearly 30 years ago. The decision of the Cayman Islands court Wednesday that Celal Kildag should not be extradited to his homeland brings to an end a four-month ordeal for the 58-year-old and his family.

A two-day trial has been set for Celal Kildag, the cruse ship passenger who arrived in Cayman on Dec. 8 and found a request waiting to extradite him to Turkey. Kildag, 58, has been accused by Turkish authorities of terrorist acts in 1988.

The evidence against a cruise ship passenger arrested in Grand Cayman and accused of terrorist offenses in Turkey in the 1980s is so poor it amounts to an “abuse of process,” his lawyer claimed Saturday. Celal Kildag will contest his extradition to the eastern European country in a hearing.

An application for the extradition of a man accused of terrorism in 1988 has not yet been received by Cayman authorities, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryll Richards said in Summary Court on Thursday.

“Turkish terror suspect arrested in Cayman” – the headline of Monday’s front page story is somewhat sensational. But what the situation calls for is a careful, measured and prudent approach: The key word going forward should be caution.