“Yıldırım Verdict Must Pave the Way For KCK Defendants”

Meral Danış Beştaş, People’s Democratic Party Assembly member and lawyer, told bianet that the recent ruling on Fenerbahçe SC President Aziz Yıldırım’s retrial must also pave the way for the retrial of KCK case defendants.  

Remind that Special-Duty Courts didn’t only convict Aziz Yıldırım, but thousands of Kurdish politicians are jailed according to similar rulings, Beştaş said the following: 

“Aziz Yıldırım verdict is to the point”

“The ruling on Aziz Yıldırım was issued according to the removal of Special-Duty Courts and Criminal Prosecutions Law (CMK) Article 311.

“Special-Duty Courts  and other tribunal founded according to Anti-Terror Act Article 10 have been removed with Law 6526. This way, lawmakers recognized that these courts were of extraordinary nature and failed to hold a fair trial. 

“Within this framework, İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court’s ruling on the retrial of Aziz Yıldırım is to the point. 

“It wasn’t only Yıldırım”

“However, it wasn’t only Aziz Yıldırım who has been tried by these courts. Thousands of Kurdish politicians faced trials and some of them are still jailed. 

“There are two points to make here. First, those who have been convicted similarly like Aziz Yıldırım must have a retrial. Second, those who are facing trial must be tried with no arrest order. 

“DGM tribunals must renew as well”

“PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan has been convicted by the State Security Court (DGM). There is no doubt that this is also an extraordinary court. It has been founded as a replacement to marshall law tribunals. 

“There is no doubt at all that Öcalan’s  trial hasn’t been fair either. ECHR also made a similar point but the request for retrial has been rejected. 

“Departing from Aziz Yıldırım’s example, the road must be paved for the retrial of DGM defendants. However, lawmakers must take action in order to make this happen. 

“It is very dangerous when laws discriminate certain people. Sledgehammer and Ergenekon case defendants have been released from prison bit thousands of Kurdish politicians are still jailed. This is the picture we see here: Everyone’s path, except the one of Kurds, is opne. This can’t be accepted.” (EKN/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.