http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw1 ... 050604.htm


Turkish immigrant enjoying freedom as he appeals deportation

June 4, 2005, 4:35 PM

HARBERT, Mich. (AP) -- Although spending almost a year in jail clearly had taken its toll on Ibrahim Parlak, he wouldn't allow it to spoil the moment.

When he returned Friday evening to his beloved restaurant, Cafe Gulistan, about 150 friends, relatives and other supporters were on hand to give the Kurdish immigrant a warm welcome, greeting him with cheers, hugs and tears.

It was the first time Parlak had been home since being arrested on July 29 while the U.S. government has tried to expel him on terrorism charges. He looked gaunt, tired and a little overwhelmed, but nothing could erase his smile.

"I feel like I got my life back," he said moments after his arrival. "I came to the U.S. seeking freedom and I had 14 great years here. That's why I have all this around me.

"That kind of got broken for a while. Now I regained it and I'm happy to have it."

U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn ruled May 20 that Parlak, 43, should be freed on $50,000 bond while appealing an immigration judge's December order to deport him to his native Turkey. Cohn noted Parlak's strong community ties in the Lake Michigan resort hamlet of Harbert, where he not only has a business but also lives.

The appeals process is expected to take several years to wind its way through the legal system.

The government wants to deport Parlak, who was granted asylum in 1992, because of his past ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in Turkey. The U.S. State Department classified the PKK as a terrorist group in 1997.

If Parlak is someday deported, it's unclear where he would go. He has been stripped of his Turkish citizenship and Turkish officials have said they do not want him sent there.

During most of his incarceration, Parlak was held at the Calhoun County Jail in Battle Creek. On Friday, he was taken from the jail to a government office in Detroit, where he was released after one of his attorneys, Jay Marhoefer, posted bond.

In his ruling last month, Cohn praised Parlak as a model immigrant and questioned the government's motives. But U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday issued a statement from its Washington office that twice referred to Parlak as a terrorist.

Close friend Martin Dzuris said immigration officials handled Parlak's release professionally and courteously. They could have delayed it by a few days but chose not to, Dzuris said.

"It's a great day. I'm ready to celebrate," he said.

As word got around Friday that Parlak was about 20 minutes away from Cafe Gulistan, a noticeable buzz of anticipation spread through the Middle Eastern restaurant and spilled into the patio outside.

"Welcome Home" signs and colorful decorations added to the festive atmosphere. Out front, dozens of supporters waited alongside the Red Arrow Highway, looking for the red Ford Focus that carried Parlak.

Applause broke out shortly before 9 p.m. as the car appeared and turned into the restaurant's parking lot. The cheering continued as Parlak, clearly moved by the scene, emerged teary-eyed with his 7-year-old daughter, Livia Gazzolo, and was swarmed by the crowd.

He hugged one person after another as he slowly worked his way toward the restaurant but saved his longest embrace for his 23-year-old niece, Fatma Oeksuez, who has been helping out at Cafe Gulistan during his absence. As he held the sobbing young woman, he softly told her, "Smile now. It's time to smile."

That was not the case 10 months ago, when agents from the Department of Homeland Security arrested Parlak at the FBI's office in St. Joseph after being invited for what he thought would be a routine visit.

He originally was charged with being an aggravated felon, which would make him ineligible for permanent residency in the United States, and with fraud, for failing to disclose his past ties to the Turkish militant group in his application for permanent residency.

In mid-October, the government filed three terrorism-related counts to go along with the immigration charges.

All five counts are administrative charges, not criminal charges. Immigration Judge Elizabeth Hacker had the power only to free or deport Parlak, and, in her ruling issued Dec. 29, she chose the latter, saying all the charges were proven.

As Parlak entered his restaurant during his homecoming, Dan Coffey, a friend who sells real estate in Harbert, said it now appears as if the case is starting to go Parlak's way.

"This is the turning point," Coffey said. "We're now beginning to control the argument.

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On the Net:

Parlak supporters' Web site: http://www.cafegulistan.com/

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: http://www.ice.gov/