No Life Threat for Ahmet Türk Being Jailed, Says Forensic Medicine

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Mardin Metropolitan co-Mayor Ahmet Türk's attorney, Zeynep Ceren Boztoprak said the İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institution report, published today, has determined continued imprisonment would not constitute a life threatening situation for Türk, provided "health checks are undertaken every six months".

Boztoprak told bianet, "The report came to this decision, even though it diagnoses all of Ahmet Türk's all health problems, including the fact that he has a pacemaker."

According to Boztoprak, the 75 year-old Türk has been arrested for almost two months, In that time, Boztoprak says, his client has changed location five times, and was even brought to Diyarbakır for a hearing, although he had agreed to testify through an audio-visual communications system.

6 displacements in 2 months arrest

After being discharged on November 17, Türk was taken into custody on November 21, 2016 at his apartment. On November 24, he was charged with being member of an "illegal organization". He was then sent to İstanbul's Silivri Prison, though the investigation into his alleged crimes was launched in Mardin and charges were filed in Diyarbakır

He was later transferred to Elazığ Prison.

Following a January 25 health examination at the Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Türk was taken to İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institution on January 30 to determine whether he was fit to serve a prison sentence. He remained at the Institution for only one day.

Türk's transfer to Elazığ was allegedly due to a lack of vacancies in Diyarbakır Prison, though the reason for his earlier transfer to Silivri Prison is unknown.

About Ahmet Türk

Ahmet Türk was born in Mardin in 1942. His elder brother, deputy Abdürrahim Türk, was murdered in 1954. He was elected Mardin MP from the Democratic Party (DEP) in 1973, before resigning and joining the Republican People's Party (CHP).

Türk was arrested in the wake of September 12, 1980 coup. He was severely tortured in Diyarbakır Prison No. 5.

In the years after the coup, Türk held office as a member of various left parties. He was one of the founding members of the People's Labor Party (HEP), along with six other MPs who were expelled from the Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP). The HEP was closed by order of the Constitutional Court on July 14, 1993.

HEP MPs' parliamentary immunity was lifted on March 2, 1994, and they were subsequently arrested. As a result, Türk was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Türkcontinued his political career in People's Democratic Party (HADEP) and Democratic People's Party (DEHAP).He returned to politics in 2005 with the establishment of the Democratic Society Party (DTP). He was elected co-chair of the party with Aysel Tuğluk.He entered parliament as independent Mardin MP in the July 22, 2007 elections.

On January 3, 2013, Ahmet Türk and Ayla Ata, started to meet with the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan.

Türk was elected Mardin Metropolitan co-Mayor on March 30, 2014.

A lawsuit was filed against Türk in January 2016, demanding a jail sentence of 7 to 18 years on charges of "being a member of an armed organization", "propagandizing for an armed terror organization", "opposing Law on Rally and Demonstration".

Türk was detained on November 21, after being relieved of his Mardin Co-Mayorship post by the Ministry of Interior on November 17. (AS/DG)