A Turkish court on Thursday ruled against several pro-Kurdish protesters over a deadly 2014 uprising by Kurds angered by what they saw as government inaction against Islamic State militants who besieged the Syrian border town of Kobani. The politician was sentenced to 9 to 42 years in prison.
Three days of clashes in October 2014 left 37 people dead and hundreds injured, including police and civilians. The protests were called by Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) leaders, who were unhappy with what they saw as Turkey’s support for IS fighters.
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A total of 108 people were charged with various crimes, including the murder of 37 victims and crimes against national integrity. The defendants include former HDP leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, who are jailed on charges of organizing protests and inciting violence.
Supporters of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Party for Equality (DEM) chant slogans during Newroz celebrations in Istanbul, Turkey, March 17, 2024. On Thursday, May 16, 2024, a Turkish court sentenced dozens of pro-Kurdish politicians. He was sentenced to nine to 30 years in prison over a 2014 uprising by Kurds angered by the government’s inaction against Islamic State militants who besieged the Syrian border town of Kobane, state media reported. (AP Photo/Emra Gurel)
Critics accused the trial of being politically motivated and part of a broader government crackdown on pro-Kurdish political parties.
Eighteen of the defendants were jailed, the remaining 18 were released pending sentencing, and 72 remain at large.
An Ankara court found Demirtas, a two-time presidential candidate, guilty of 47 charges and sentenced him to 42 years in prison, state broadcaster TRT reported. Yuksekdag was sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges including attempting to challenge national unity, inciting criminal activity and participating in propaganda on behalf of a terrorist organization.
The 12 defendants were acquitted of all charges. The defendant, who is still at large, is scheduled to stand trial at a later date.
The politicians are expected to appeal the verdict.
According to Cumhuriyet newspaper, the hearing took place in a tense atmosphere, with lawyers banging on desks and leaving the courtroom in protest of the verdict.
Tuncer Bakulhan, the current co-leader of the pro-Kurdish movement, described the verdict as a “black stain” on Turkey’s judicial system.
“The Selahattin family, the Figen family and others who were indicted in this Kobani conspiracy trial were acquitted in the hearts of Kurds, Turks, workers, women and young people,” he said.
In anticipation of protests denouncing the ruling, authorities banned demonstrations in the Kurdish-majority regions of Diyarbakir, Syirt, Tunceli and Batman for four days.
The government accused the HDP of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The group has led an armed rebellion against the Turkish state since 1984, and the conflict has left tens of thousands of people dead.
Government officials accused HDP leaders of receiving instructions from the PKK to stage the riot.
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The government has frequently cracked down on pro-Kurdish political movements, including stripping parliamentarians of their seats and dismissing elected mayors. Several HDP members have been jailed on terrorism-related charges, along with Demirtas and Yüksekder.
The party has since changed its name to the Democratic Party of People’s Equality (DEM) and is the third-largest group in Turkey’s parliament.
