DEM deputies protest Kobanî case verdict in parliament

In a parliamentary session marked by protests, MPs from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party voiced their dissent against the sentences handed down in the Kobanî Case. The party's deputies remained in the parliament, refusing to leave, and instead expressed their protest through applause and slogans.

Sezai Temelli, deputy head of DEM’s parliamentary group, described the day as a "dark day," criticizing the court's decisions as unlawful and a significant injustice. "Today, Turkey's democracy and peace struggle faces a dark time as important figures of this struggle are being sentenced in what we consider a sham trial," he remarked.

"We are saddened but also angry. Those who seek to take revenge by imposing sentences on those who resisted the Kobanî sham trial are, in fact, undermining the Republic, this country, and the peace that this country longs for. The penalties imposed on those who call for peace and democracy, who demonstrate the will to live together, are the greatest harm to this country."

The deputy further accused the parliament of being under the influence of various nefarious forces, including bureaucratic, mafia, and gangster control, citing recent incidents as evidence of this claim.

Following Temelli's speech, DEM deputies banged on the desks to protest the sentences given in the Kobanî Case. The Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who is also a member of DEM, called for a 15-minute recess.

After the break, Önder made a brief statement, emphasizing that the sentences were not deserved and targeted the hope for peace and coexistence in the country. "Despite all our warnings, the AK Party group has failed to realize this, but the emerging facts indicate that this will be the prelude to their future prosecution, as all aspects of the peace process have been criminalized," he said.

Önder concluded his remarks by saluting "all friends in dungeons" before closing the session.

The Kobanî case, which refers to the legal proceedings related to the 2014 protests and violence known as the "Kobani events" or "6-8 October events," has been a contentious issue in Turkey, with implications for the country's political and social landscape. (VC/VK)