Newroz Investigation Against Ahmet Türk

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Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation against dismissed Metropolitan Mayor of Mardin Ahmet Türk due to the speech that he made in Diyarbakır Newroz in 2018.

Türk was previously dismissed by the Ministry of Interior on August 19 and the governor of the province was appointed as a trustee in his place.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Türk has been charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" and went to the Mardin Courthouse with his lawyers to depose. Underlining that his Newroz speech did not have any intention of propaganda, Türk said that he expressed "peoples' fraternity and requests for peace and democracy through thousand-year relationship between Turkish and Kurdish people".

Presenting their statements, lawyers of Türk underlined that the speech in question was within freedom of thought and expression and, therefore, a decision of non-prosecution should be given for the investigation.

What did Ahmet Türk say?

In Newroz celebrations in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır in 2018, Ahmet Türk made the following speech:

"We have been going through historic periods. A dirty policy is pursued through Kurdish people. When we look at the past, these policies were followed in the past as well. Kurdish people were massacred in Ağrı, Dersim and Halabja. However, what was done back then could in no way deter Kurdish people from waging a struggle for freedom.

"Policies of genocide were pursued after June 7. The ruling [party], which saw that these policies did not work, captured the ones who waged a struggle for democracy and freedom to intimidate them.

"As if that was not enough, they have manipulated the genes of our people by attacking Efrîn. Those who want to consolidate their power with Efrîn attacks will be razed to the ground.

"We have not forgotten Kemal Kurkut, who was massacred in Amed Newroz, he is the martyr of our newroz. The struggle for freedom is long-lasting. That is why, we will undauntedly carry on our struggle on this path. 21st century will be the year of freedom for Kurdish people". (RT/SD)