Former DTP Co-Chairs Face Heavy Prison Sentences

The Public Prosecutor's Office in Diyarbakır in the pre-dominantly Kurdish region of south-eastern Turkey launched the litigation against former Democratic Society Party (DTP) Mardin MP Ahmet Türk and former Diyarbakır MP Aysel Tuğluk by reason of various speeches made by the politicians. After the closure of DTP by the Constitutional Court in December 2009, Türk and Tuğluk lost their immunity and were subjected to a political ban.

The Diyarbakır Special Authority Public Prosecutor's Office prepared separate indictments for former DTP co-chairs Türk and Tuğluk under charges of "spreading propaganda for the PPK", the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party, according to article 7/2 of the Anti-Terror Law. The prosecution demands 45 years imprisonment for Türk, Tuğluk faces prison sentence of up to 70 years.

Penalty demanded for alleged membership of the PKK

Moreover, the prosecutor demanded punishment for both politicians under charges of "Membership of the PKK organization and committing crimes on behalf of the organization".

The allegations against Türk are based on his speeches made between 2006 and 2009 in Diyarbakır, Batman, Siirt and Mardin and on Roj TV broadcasted via satellite.

Aysel will stand trial for twelve speeches made in Diyarbakır between 2005 and 2009 and related news published in the press. (EÖ/VK)