Selçuk Mızraklı, the former co-mayor of the Kurdish city of Diyarbakır, was released today after nearly seven years in prison.
A crowd that included senior officials and MPs from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party welcomed Mızraklı outside the Edirne Type-F Prison in northwestern Turkey.
Moments of Mızraklı coming out of the prison:
'Demirtaş should have been here before me'
In his first statement upon his release, Mızraklı called for the release of Selahattin Demirtaş, the Kurdish leader who has been in the same prison since Oct 2016:
"The person who should be here before me is the beloved Selahattin Demirtaş, the beloved of this people.
"Demirtaş, as always, stands for democracy no matter what, peace no matter what, and a solution no matter what. That has always been his message.
"With the hope that the day will come when you can conduct interviews freely and without any restrictions—not just with Demirtaş, but with everyone, starting with Mr. Öcalan [Abdullah, the PKK leader].
"I, we, and the dozens of comrades currently standing behind us in prison have found strength together with you. We have found strength. That energy has transformed into a force that has multiplied and strengthened our resilience. Drawing on that strength together with you, we have made it our guiding principle to stand firm in the face of the sentences imposed on us unlawfully, through conspiracies, and in violation of the law, and to emerge from here with our heads held high.
"We have also reached a fundamental turning point for Turkey. A critical process is underway. This critical process must be carried out carefully, meticulously, and swiftly, while also taking into account the possibility of all kinds of provocations that may come from outside.”
Mızraklı and Demirtaş had shared the same prison cell for the past five years.
Supporters placed banners on their vehicles featuring photographs of Mızraklı and former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been kept in the same prison since Oct 2016.
New picture from jailed politicians Demirtaş, Mızraklı
Demirtaş's message
Demirtaş had announced Mızraklı’s release on Sep 5.
“For the past five years, I was entrusted to him, and he was entrusted to me,” Demirtaş wrote in an article delivered through his attorneys. “He will leave here on Tuesday morning and will be at Diyarbakır Airport that evening. From now on, he is entrusted to you.”
Hours before his release, a message posted on Mızraklı’s social media account said, “Tomorrow, once again, together with hope and passion...”
According to DEM Party sources, Mızraklı is expected to make several visits in İstanbul after leaving prison before traveling to Diyarbakır.
Background
Mızraklı was elected co-mayor of the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality for the HDP in the Mar 2019 local elections with more than 62 percent of the vote.
The Interior Ministry removed him from office on Aug 19, 2019 and appointed a government trustee to replace him, citing a "terrorism" investigation against the politician as part of a broader crackdown on mayors from the pro-Kurdish party.
Mızraklı was detained on Oct 21 and arrested the following day on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" and "ropaganda for a terrorist organization."
Witness H.B.A. who caused Diyarbakır Mayor to be arrested revealed as police officer
The Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court sentenced Mızraklı on Mar 9, 2020 to nine years, four months and 15 days in prison membership charges. The 9th Penal Chamber of the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Appeals upheld the sentence in July 2020.
The 3rd Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, the top appeals court, overturned the ruling in Dec 2022, citing an incomplete examination and insufficient reasoning. Despite that, the high court rejected Mızraklı’s request for release.
Following a retrial, the Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court imposed the same sentence on Nov 29, 2023. The Court of Cassation upheld the conviction on Oct 9, 2024.
Mızraklı’s lawyers said after the ruling that they would file an individual application with the Constitutional Court, the final legal remedy.
In 2025, the Prison Administration and Observation Board rejected Mızraklı's requests for transfer to an open prison and eligibility for supervised release.
(FY/Mİ/VK)
