Citizens express support for HDP MP Gergerlioğlu in the face of investigation

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31 citizens, including journalists, writers and artists, have expressed their support for Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Kocaeli MP Dr. Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu in the face of an investigation due to his social media messages about Kurdish politician and ill prisoner Aysel Tuğluk.

Rights defenders have referred to Gergerlioğlu's speech in front of the Kandıra Prison, where Tuğluk is currently held, and the messages that he posted on his social media account afterwards:

"In today's environment where the aggrieved and oppressor are blurred, we, the undersigned, completely agree with this post of Dr. Gergerlioğlu and put our signatures under what he said and wrote."

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The undersigned

Abdullah Demirbaş, Ahmet Aykaç, Aydın Engin, Ayşegül Devecioğlu, Baskın Oran, Bülent Atamer, Can Dündar, Celal Yıldırım, Doğan Özgüden, Erdoğan Aydın, Ergun Babahan, Eser Karakaş, Esra Koç, Eşber Yağmurdereli, Fikret Başkaya, Gençay Gürsoy, Gürhan Ertür, Hacer Ansal, İnci Tuğsavul, Mebuse Tekay, Mehmet Rasgelenler, Mustafa Paçal, Nazar Büyüm, Nesrin Nas, Nesteren Davutoğlu, Orhan Alkaya, Osman Okkan, Oya Baydar, Sait Çetinoğlu, Şanar Yurdatapan, Viki Çiprut.

What happened?

The Justice Ministry rejected the request of HDP Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, also a medical doctor himself, for visiting former HDP Vice Co-Chair Aysel Tuğluk, who has been diagnosed with dementia and is still arrested despite her illness.

In response to this, Gergerlioğlu went in front of the Kandıra Prison in Kocaeli, where Tuğluk is arrested, and made a statement there:

In his speech in front of the prison, he briefly said, "Aysel Tuğluk is suffering from great violations of rights. According to medical reports, Aysel Tuğluk must be taken out of the prison as soon as possible. We may face a more severe consequence if this is not done."

He also wrote on social media, "Let the atrocity end and justice be served. Aysel Tuğluk in Kandıra Prison must be out."

Following this statement, an investigation has been launched against him on charges of "degrading the State and bodies of the Republic of Turkey", "attempting to influence experts" and "praising the crime and the criminal" as per the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). (TP/SD)