‘What happens when one says “Dear Selahattin Demirtaş”?’

Click to read the article in Turkish (1) (2)

Issuing a summary of proceedings against Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Garo Paylan as part of the investigation into the Kobane incidents of October 6-8, 2014, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has considered it to be a crime of "praising the crime and criminal" to address arrested former HDP Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ and arrested and dismissed HDP MP Leyla Güven as "...dear Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ and dear Leyla Güven."

Shortly after the reason for the charges against Paylan was reported in the press, several social media users have tweeted under the hashtag "#SevgiliSelahattinDemirtaş" (Dear Selahattin Demirtaş).

CLICK - Presidential memorandums seeking lift of immunity for 25 opposition lawmakers

While the chief public prosecutor's office has demanded that Paylan's legislative immunity be lifted for this reason, Paylan has responded to the charges on his social media account.

Paylan has said on Twitter: "It is apparently considered a crime in the summary of proceedings that I addressed Dear Selahattin Demirtaş as 'Dear Selahattin Demirtaş'. Ah, you Dear Selahattin Demirtaş. What happens when one says very dear Selahattin Demirtaş??"

Sevgili Selahattin Demirtaş'a, "Sevgili Selahattin Demirtaş" demem fezlekede suç sayılmış.
İlahi Sevgili Selahattin Demirtaş. :)
Çok sevgili Selahattin Demirtaş deyince ne oluyor?? :))@hdpdemirtas

— Garo Paylan - Կարօ Փայլան (@GaroPaylan) February 27, 2021

Charges in the summary of proceedings

Paylan uttered the related remarks in a speech that he held in a speech in Diyarbakır province on March 26, 2019.

In one part of this speech held before the last local elections on March 31, 2019, HDP Dİyarbakır MP Garo Paylan said, "And this Sunday, I trust that you will give the most powerful lesson for dear Selahattin Demirtaş, for Figen Yüksekdağ and for dear Leyla Güven."

Examining this speech, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has considered it to constitute the crime of "praising the crime and criminal" to call arrested former Co-Chairs of the HDP Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ and arrested Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair and dismissed HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven "dear."

Posts about Gezi, Boğaziçi, Kavala also a 'crime'

Some social media posts of Garo Paylan have also been considered a "crime" in the summary of proceedings against the MP.

Among these social media messages are also those about the Boğaziçi University protests against the appointed rector, arrested businessperson Osman Kavala and Gezi resistance of 2013.

"They appointed a trustee-rector to Boğaziçi University as well. The future of a country without free universities cannot be bright! This little rule will last short. When the times change, universities will elect their own rectors," Paylan has recently said about the protests.

He also tweeted the following message about Kavala: "Osman Kavala is appearing before the judge today with a vile 'indictment.' Enough with the atrocity that you have inflicted on him and his loved ones for three years. Apologize to Osman Kavala and release him."

"I was in Gezi, too," tweeted the MP, which is now considered a crime for his support for the "protests against the regime of Turkey" in 2013.

The following HDP MPs are now facing summaries of proceedings as part of the Kobane investigation: HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan, Parliamentary Group Deputy Chairs Meral Danış Beştaş, Hakkı Saruhan Oluç and milletvekilleri Fatma Kurtulan, Garo Paylan, Hüda Kaya, Serpil Kemalbay Pekgözegü, Sezai Temelli ve Pero Dündar. The summaries have been presented to the Parliamentary Joint Commission.

'Saying "Dear Demirtaş" cannot be crime"

On the other side, after it was reported in the press that HDP MP Garo Paylan is facing charges for saying "Dear Selahattin Demirtaş", several social media users have denounced it, tweeting under the hashtag "#SevgiliSelahattinDemirtaş" (Dear Selahattin Demirtaş).

Some of these messages are as follows:

#SevgiliSelahattinDemirtaş demek suç olamaz. Toptan aklımızı mı kaçırdık?

— ümit kıvanç (@umit_k) February 27, 2021

Journalist, writer and director Ümit Kıvanç: "Saying 'Dear Selahattin Demirtaş cannot be a crime. Our you all out of your mind?"

#SevgiliSelahattinDemirtas ARKADAŞIM

— Eren Keskin (@KeskinEren1) February 27, 2021

Lawyer and Human Rights Association (İHD) Co-Chair Eren Keskin: "Dear Selahattin Demirtaş. My friend."

#SevgiliSelahattinDemirtaş bir an önce zulmen tutukluluktan kurtarılmalıdır. Bugün onu itibarsızlaştırmaya çalışanlar, yarın hukuk arayacaklardır.

Hukuk herkese lazım.

Hukuk devleti idealini koruyalım.

— Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu (@gergerliogluof) February 27, 2021

HDP Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu: "Dear Selahattin Demirtaş must be freed from his tormenting arrest as soon as possible. Those trying to defame him today will seek justice tomorrow. The law is necessary for everyone. Let's safeguard the ideal of rule of law." (RT/SD)