HDP requests Parliamentary inquiry into ‘execution lists’

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İzmir MP Serpil Kemalbay Pekgözegü has submitted a Parliamentary inquiry about the escalating violence, attacks and threats as well as "execution lists" targeting the journalists, politicians and artists from Turkey who currently live in Europe.

Kemalbay has requested that the organization behind the "execution lists" be investigated and disclosed and the people whose names are mentioned in those lists be provided with security. In her Parliamentary inquiry, the MP has demanded that the necessary steps be taken for this.

Allegation of 'profiling'

HDP MP Kemalbay has underlined that "there has been an increase in the attacks and threats against opposition politicians, artists, academics, intellectuals and especially press laborers who live in various cities in Europe as a result of them being systematically targeted."

The MP has recalled that following the attacks, some "execution lists" were posted on social media and the people cited in those lists were warned by the security officials of the countries where they live.

Raising concerns about the claims that there is more than one list, HDP MP Serpil Kemalbay has underlined that "the fact that the addresses of dissidents are known brings an act of profiling to mind."

Referring to the recent incidents within this context, Kemalbay has reminded the public and the Parliamentary Speaker's Office about the attack and threat against journalist Erk Acarer in Berlin, Germany in July 2021 and the recent attack on writer - PEN member Gökhan Yavuzel in Wales.

The MP has also recalled that journalist Celal Başlangıç, politician Hasip Kaplan and artist Ferhat Tunç were warned by the police in Germany over the allegations that their names are on execution lists.

Peker's allegations about Külünk

At this point, HDP MP Kemalbay has referred to the allegations of Sedat Peker, who is facing a warrant for "leading a criminal organization" in Turkey.

In one of his videos where he revealed "state-mafia-politics" relations, Peker alleged that Metin Külünk, a former ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP and current AKP Central Decision and Executive Board member, received money from Peker regularly, created resources for paramilitary groups with this money and used these groups for certain crimes.

She has noted that "the relation between Metin Külünk and the 'Osmanen Germania', who were involved in crimes related to violence, drugs, arms trafficking and human smuggling and who were tracked by the German intelligence and banned, was brought up several times before."

Referring to the "reports prepared by the German intelligence agencies", Kemalbay has referred to the allegations that "the 'Osmanen Germania' is linked to the AKP and they were used to pressure and attack the dissidents in Germany." According to Kemalbay, a report prepared by the Interior Minister of the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) argued that "the organization was supported by Ankara" and recalled that the head of the group was invited to Ankara in October 2016 by İlknur Çevik, the chief advisor to President and AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Requests

Noting that "the establishment of an investigation commission is crucial," HDP MP Kemalbay has requested the following:

"Within this context, considering that a personnel of the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) was arrested for two months in Germany after being caught with an execution list in the previous years, the MİT's connection with the execution lists should be investigated.

"The perpetrators of the attacks against journalists should be identified and a legal action should be taken against the assaulters.

"The organization of 'Osmanen Germania', which is allegedly financed through Metin Külünk, should be investigated.

"Turkey should take the necessary steps to take preventive measures in order to investigate and disclose the organization behind the execution lists and to ensure the security of the citizens mentioned in the list." (KÖ/SD)