Çiftçi, Van correspondent for Özgür Ülke, was detained on Aug. 1, 1994, at the bus terminal. He was heading for the newspaper’s headquarters in Istanbul. Özgür Ülke claims that Çiftçi was delivering documents signed by the former interior minister ordering the security forces to curtail the newspaper’s activities. He was subsequently arrested and charged with aiding the PKK. His trial continues.