Peace Group Fully Released

The Silopi Criminal Judge released 3 people from Kandil and 2 from the UN Mahmur refugee camp, who all came to the southeast of Turkey from Iraq on Monday (19 September) as part of a Peace Group.

The prosecutors decided to release 29 people from the group on Tuesday (20 September) morning and requested to keep 5 group members in detention.

Diyarbakır Bar Association Chairman M. Emin Aktar, who has been in Silopi for the last 2 days, informed bianet that the judge considered the article on "effective repentance" from the Criminal Code and decided to release the 5 group members.

Yet, Aktar added that the possibility of prosecuting members of the Peace Group still persists after the prosecutors will have completed their preliminary investigation.

In a letter of the Peace Group and also in the statements they gave to the prosecutor the members had actually stated that they did not want to take advantage of the article on "effective repentance".

Aktar, joining a live broadcast of the Turkish news channel NTV, explained that the members of the Peace Group were asked questions such as when they joined the organization (Kurdistan Worker's Party PKK), if they had participated in any actions, why they withdrew from the organization and about the purpose of their coming to Turkey. However, according to Aktar they had not been asked if they regretted anything.

Peace Group goes to Diyarbakır

The Peace Group is leaving the region in busses provided by the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP). As reported to bianet from DTP Diyarbakır MP Gülten Kısanak, thousands of people had gathered in the town of Silopi for the Peace Group and one representative each from the groups coming from Kandil and Mahmur gave a brief speech to the crowd.

The group will move on to Diyarbakır, stopping by at receptions on the way through Cizre, Nusaybin and Mardin. Kışanak said that the actual welcoming ceremony is going to be held in Diyarbakır. The MP indicated that the further program of the group will be planned after Tuesday night.

As reported by the Fırat News Agency, thousands of people have already started to gather in the Çınar district of Diyarbakır to welcome the group. (TK/VK)