Kurdish politician Ayşe Gökkan convicted of 'aiding a terror group'

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Ayşe Gökkan, a Kurdish politician, has been handed a 3-year, 9-month prison sentence on charges of "knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization."

The charges relate to a 2011 event focused on a "democratic solution to the Kurdish question," during which a tent was set up in the courtyard of the Mitani Cultural Center belonging to the Nusaybin District Municipality in the predominantly Kurdish-populated southeastern province of Mardin. At the time, Gökkan was the Nusaybin mayor.

The Court of Cassation previously overturned a 7-year 6-month prison sentence given Gökkan due to "disproportionality." Separately, she was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2021.

In a retrial of the case, Gökkan attended the hearing via videoconference from the Sincan Women's Closed Prison. She spoke in Kurdish to state that the court had lost its impartiality from the beginning of the trial, and they had repeatedly requested a change of judge.

"I reject the court"

Gökkan also declared that she had nothing else to add to her 20-page defense, saying, "Woman, life, and freedom can't be tried," referencing the popular Kurdish slogan of "Jin, jiyan, azadi" (woman, life, freedom).

Gökkan's lawyer, Muharrem Şahin, pointed out that their clients were brought to the trial via videoconference while lawyers were excluded from the court, which limited their defense rights. He stated that they would not make a statement regarding the merits of the case, describing the trial as a "play."

Şahin added that "there is no legal value to the trial of our current file; our client is defending the rights of women and the basic rights and freedoms of Kurds."

When asked for her final statement, Gökkan said, "I reject the court; women, freedom, and life cannot be tried."

The court sentenced Gökkan to 3 years and 9 months in prison on charges of knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization.

About Ayşe Gökkan

Politician and women's right defender. Gökkan started her political career in the Kurdish political movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s when she worked for the People's Labor Party (HEP) and the Democracy Party (DEP) in the southeastern province of Urfa.

Gökkan continued her involvement in politics in the following years and was an active member of the People's Democratic Party (HADEP), the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP), and the Democratic Society Party (DTP). All these political parties were eventually shut down by the Constitutional Court.

In 2002, Gökkan ran for MP in Urfa but was unsuccessful as her party failed to exceed the 10 percent election threshold. In addition to her political activities, Gökkan also worked as a journalist and contributed to various newspapers, including Özgür Gündem, Özgür Politika, Azadiya Welat, and the Özgür Kadının Sesi magazine.

Gökkan was born in Suruç, Urfa, in 1965, and graduated from the journalism department of Cyprus American University in 1998. Throughout her career, she has been a vocal advocate for women's rights, regularly speaking out against gender-based discrimination and violence against women in Turkey. 

In October 2021, Gökkan was sentenced to 30 years in prison for "being a member of a terrorist organization" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization." (EMK/VK)