Ahmet Türk Released

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Türk's attorney Zeynep Boztoprak has announced the decision on Twitter.

İstanbul Forensic Medicine Institution report, published today (February 3), had determined continued imprisonment would not constitute a life threatening situation for Türk, provided "health checks are undertaken every six months".

Boztoprak had 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.

Türk's attorneys had applied to Mardin Criminal Judgeship of Peace requesting Türk's release.

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.

(YY/DG)