Mardin Co-Mayor Ahmet Türk Taken into Hospital

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Mardin Metropolitan Co-Mayor Ahmet Türk has been taken into Fırat University, Faculty of Medicine from Elazığ Prison.

According to interview that his attorney Zeynep Ceren Bozkurt gave to bianet, Ahmet Türk was taken into the hospital in order to have his examinations completed.

Boztoprak said that Ahmet Türk’s overall physical condition is not fine, he has a heart condition and has a cardiac pacemaker, developed cataract in the prison in addition to other diseases.

Boztoprak stated that he was transferred to the hospital following their application putting forward that he cannot remain in prison in this condition.

He was transferred to Elazığ before Silivri could complete the report

Attorney Boztoprak stated that they submitted an application to Execution Prosecutor’s Office in Silivri where Türk was sent to right after the arrest, and that the prosecutor’s office requested a medical report as to whether he can to remain in the prison.

“His first examinations were done in the Silivri but was transferred to Elazığ Prison while waiting for the report from the hospital. In Elazığ, it was said that the examinations needed for the report were inadequate.

“He was transferred to Fırat University, Faculty of Medicine in Elazığ to have the missing examinations completed. The results obtained from the physical examination here will be sent to the Forensic Medicine Institute”.

About Ahmet Türk

Ahmet Türk was born in Mardin in 1942. His elder brother, deputy Abdürrahim Türk, was murdered in 1954. He was elected Mardin MP from the Democratic Party (DEP) in 1973, before resigning and joining the Republican People's Party (CHP).

Türk was arrested in the wake of September 12, 1980 coup. He was severely tortured in Diyarbakır Prison No. 5.

In the years after the coup, Türk held office as a member of various left parties. He was one of the founding members of the People's Labor Party (HEP), along with six other MPs who were expelled from the Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP). The HEP was closed by order of the Constitutional Court on July 14, 1993.

HEP MPs' parliamentary immunity was lifted on March 2, 1994, and they were subsequently arrested. As a result, Türk was sentenced to 2 years in prison.

Türkcontinued his political career in People's Democratic Party (HADEP) and Democratic People's Party (DEHAP).He returned to politics in 2005 with the establishment of the Democratic Society Party (DTP). He was elected co-chair of the party with Aysel Tuğluk.He entered parliament as independent Mardin MP in the July 22, 2007 elections.

On January 3, 2013, Ahmet Türk and Ayla Ata, started to meet with the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Abdullah Öcalan.

Türk was elected Mardin Metropolitan co-Mayor on March 30, 2014.

A lawsuit was filed against Türk in January 2016, demanding a jail sentence of 7 to 18 years on charges of "being a member of an armed organization", "propagandizing for an armed terror organization", "opposing Law on Rally and Demonstration".

Türk was detained on November 21, after being relieved of his Mardin Co-Mayorship post by the Ministry of Interior on November 17. (AS/TK)