Eleven years after the protests in northern Kurdistan and Turkey surrounding the siege of the Kobanê city in northern Syria, the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) called for a comprehensive review of the events at that time. In a statement on Monday, the party executive recalled the several days of unrest in October 2014 and accused the Turkish government of preventing an independent investigation.
“The truth about the events of October 6 to 8 must be revealed in all its dimensions,” the party leadership said. The protests arose at a time when a dialogue process was taking place between the Turkish state and the Kurdish movement. The riots at that time, which escalated in several cities in Turkey—mainly in the Kurdish provinces—are linked to the siege of Kobanê by ISIS. The protesters accused the Turkish government of helping ISIS instead of Kobanê.
47 HDP members killed during protests
According to various human rights organizations, 54 people were killed during violent clashes between protesters, police, the military, and ISIS-affiliated organizations, including 47 members of the HDP, the predecessor organization of today’s DEM party. Numerous others were arrested and later sentenced to long prison terms. “At the same time, little progress has been made in the investigations into the deaths. Repeated calls for an independent investigation in parliament have been in vain. The HDP’s motions have been regularly rejected by the government majority,” the statement said.
The party also reiterated its criticism of the so-called Kobanê trial, in which former HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, among others, were sentenced to long prison terms in May last year. A total of 24 politicians were sentenced to a combined total of over 400 years in prison. The DEM party sees the trial as a politically motivated construct: the charges were not based on reliable evidence, but on questionable witness statements and political statements made in the context of democratic party work.
A “staged trial”
“These verdicts are a bill presented to democracy,” the statement said. The trial was not only politically motivated, but also violated constitutional standards. For example, the 32,000-page judgment was not presented until 13 months after the end of the trial. According to DEM Party, the judgment confirms that this was a “staged trial” anyway.
The party emphasized that the release of convicted politicians was a key element for genuine democratization in Turkey, and a prerequisite for a credible peace process.
At the same time, DEM Party referred to rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which had demanded the release of Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe also called for the implementation of the ECtHR rulings. The ruling in the Demirtaş case must become final by October 8 at the latest, it added.
A necessary step for peace and democracy
“The release of Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, and all political prisoners is a necessary step for peace and democracy. Only a complete and transparent investigation of the events of that time could pave the way for lasting social peace,” the party said.
Source: ANF News
