ANTEP - The KCK case started in Antep. There are 61 people on trial in the Antep KCK case. 26 of them is under arrest. Protesting the trial, MP Mahmut Toğrul said: "If the Minister of Justice wants reform, he should check out this case."

 

An operation was carried out by the Antep Chief Public Prosecutor's Office within the scope of Kurdistan Communities Union / Komaleyan Civaka Kurdistan Turkey Desk (KCK / TM) city structure" on November 14, 2019 and 57 Kurdish politicians were detained during home raids including Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) executives. 35 people were arrested afterwards, with the accusation of 'propagandizing a terrorist organization' and 'being a member of a terrorist organization'. 9 of those politicians were released during interim hearings. 

 

The first hearing of the case against 61 politicians began at the Antep 2nd High Criminal Court. HDP MPs Fatma Kurtalan, Ömer Öcalan, Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki and Mahmut Toğrul, Public Workers Union Confederation (KESK) Co-chair Mehmet Bozgeyik, Peace Mothers and the families of those on trial attended the hearing. A limited number of people were allowed in the courtroom due to the pandemic.

 

26 people who are on remand attended the hearing via Audio-Video Information System (SEGBİS) from the Antep H Type Closed Prison. Attorneys of the case protested that their clients were not brought to the courthouse, told that the  demand for a fair trial was violated. Lawyers demanded the politicians to be acquitted.

 

HDP requested to intervene the case, which was denied by the court board on grounds that HDP was not harmed by the crime. The request of the attorneys for their clients to be brought to court was accepted by the court board. 

 

Yargılanan tutuksuz 30 siyasetçi avukatlarıyla birlikte hazır bulundu. Yine tutuklu yargılanan 26 kişi ise Antep H Tipi Kapalı Cezaevi’nden Ses Görüntülü Bilişim Sistemi’yle (SEGBİS) duruşmaya katıldı.

Söz alan dosya avukatları, müvekkillerinin duruşma salonuna getirilmemesine tepki göstererek, adil yargılama talebinin ihlal edildiğini söyledi. Avukatlar siyasetçilerin beraat etmesini talep etti. 

 

'SO CALLED PARTY'

 

HDP MPs made a brief statement. Speaking to the press, HDP Antep MP Toğrul said that the politicians are unfairly detained for more than a year and their lives are at risk due to the coronavirus outbreak. Toğrul continued, "The third biggest party of the parliament is described as 'so-called party' by a prosecutor who went beyond his limits. We are saying this one more time. We are the third biggest party in the parliament, doesn't matter if the prosecutor knows this or not. We are the most effective party at the parliament. You will learn that. They are trying to design us using the judiciary and the law enforcement as a tool. We do not accept that. We are resisting. Those who saw this persecution fit for us are now split into 3 parties."

 

Mentioning the 'reform in the judiciary' brought to the agenda by Erdoğan recently, Toğrul said: "I am addressing the Minister of Justice. If the Minister of Justice wants reform, he should check out this case. People are being detained during house raids, politicians and journalists are kept in prison and they are speaking of a reform in the judiciary. Our friends who are being held in prison with filmsy accusations must be released immediately."