Who is Alp Selek? Why did lawyer Alp Selek die?

Lawyer Alp Selek, who defended the workers arrested during the Kavel resistance and those tried in political cases during the 12 March and 12 September periods, passed away. So, who is Alp Selek? Why did lawyer Alp Selek die?

WHO IS ALP SELEK?

Alp Selek was born in Istanbul in 1931. Selek, a lawyer and human rights advocate, has served as a lawyer for workers, trade unionists and people tried in political cases throughout his career of more than 70 years. He died on October 8, 2026, at the age of 95.

Alp Selek, one of the founders of the Turkish Workers' Party (TİP) and the son of former MP Cemal Hakkı Selek, has been involved in the socialist movement since his youth. He served as TİP Istanbul Provincial Chairman for a period.

Selek, who undertook the defense of workers who were arrested or sued during the worker resistance at the Kavel Cable Factory in 1963, also served as the lawyer of those who were tried in political cases during the 12 March and 12 September periods. He undertook the defense of many workers and socialists, especially DISK.

Selek, who was arrested as one of the TIP executives after the coup of September 12, 1980, remained in prison for 4.5 years. Following his conviction for taking part in the TİP management, the Ministry of Justice requested that Selek be deleted from the Istanbul Bar Association list. Selek, who won the legal fight that started after the Istanbul Bar Association opposed this request, was later re-registered in the bar association plate.

In the last years of his life, Selek also served as the lawyer of his daughter, sociologist and writer Pınar Selek, in the case where she was tried regarding the Spice Bazaar explosion in 1998. Selek, who took on the defense of her daughter in the ongoing case despite multiple acquittals, followed the hearings for years and continued her call for justice.

Speaking at the Justice Watch held in Istanbul in 2023, Selek reacted to the trial process by stating that her daughter's case has been going on for 25 years.

He held positions in the ÖDP and the SOL Party.

WHO IS ALP SELEK'S DAUGHTER?

Alp Selek's daughter is Pınar Selek, one of Türkiye's well-known sociologists.

Pınar Selek's name has been in the public eye for many years due to the case related to the explosion that occurred in the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul in 1998. Selek was acquitted on various dates in the case. However, the Supreme Court overturned the acquittal decision in 2022 and the retrial process began. The case continued into 2026; At the hearing on September 18, 2026, it was announced on Selek's official website that the next hearing was postponed to February 5, 2027.

WHY DID ALP SELEK DIE?

Lawyer Alp Selek, who was among the defenders of worker and union struggles, political causes and human rights struggle since the 1960s, passed away.

In the statements made by the family, it was stated that the death occurred due to health problems related to old age.