Aras Publishing House of Istanbul, Turkey, and which has published numerous books on Armenian Genocide, has issued a statement on the arrest of well-known Turkish businessman Osman Kavala, who is also chairman of the Istanbul-based Anadolu Kültür (Culture) NGO.

The statement says Kavala has devoted his whole life to the fight for democracy in Turkey, peace between peoples, and justice and freedoms.

“We strongly condemn the arrest of Osman Kavala, demand that he be released, and antidemocratic actions be put to an end in the country,” the statement also reads.

Osman Kavala is one of Turkey’s well-known human rights activists, and an advocate for normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations.

He is accused of having connections with the Gülen Movement, led by US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, and Ankara accuses him and his movement of orchestrating the coup attempt in Turkey, in July 2016.