The allegations stem from speeches made by the former politicians between 2005 and 2009.
(BIANET/IFEX) – Former Democratic Society Party (DTP) officials Ahmet Türk and Aysel Tuğluk face imprisonment of 45 and 70 years, respectively, under charges of “spreading PKK propaganda”. The PKK is the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Diyarbakır, in the predominantly Kurdish region of south-eastern Turkey, launched the litigation against the former DTP Mardin MP Ahmet Türk and former Diyarbakır MP Aysel Tuğluk as a result of various speeches made by the politicians. After the closure of the DTP by the Constitutional Court in December 2009, Türk and Tuğluk lost their immunity and were subjected to a political ban.
The Diyarbakır Special Authority Public Prosecutor’s Office prepared separate indictments for the former DTP officials, both under charges of “spreading propaganda for the PPK” according to article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law.
Moreover, the prosecutor demanded punishment for both politicians under charges of “membership of the PKK organization and committing crimes on behalf of the organization”.
The allegations against Türk are based on his speeches made between 2006 and 2009 in Diyarbakır, Batman, Siirt and Mardin and on Roj TV broadcast via satellite. Tuğluk will stand trial for twelve speeches made in Diyarbakır between 2005 and 2009 and related news published in the press.
