BDP executives say "we want to be tried too"
BDP executives say "we want to be tried too"
Within the framework of the “I denounce myself” campaign launched by the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) to protest KCK operations, Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaþ, Deputy Co-chair Filiz Koçali, Þamin Altan MP, Istanbul provincial chairs and executives appealed to Istanbul special authorized Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and denounced themselves.
BDP members said that they committed the same "crime" committed by the people who are remanded in custody as part of the KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) operations. “If these actions are accepted as a crime, I also committed the same crimes,” their petitions read.
Answering journalists’ questions after the proceedings, BDP Co-Chair Demirtaþ said that “We are going through a fragile process. Hundreds of BDP members, executives and elected politicians, academicians and authors have been arrested and put in prisons. We will not accept this injustice in silence. Our campaign will spread in all cities and districts.”
Among the recently detained are publisher Ragýp Zarakolu and constitutional law Professor Büþra Ersanlý, who both taught classes at the BDP's Politics Academy. Their detentions and subsequent arrests sparked outrage from the BDP as well as civil society groups both in Turkey and abroad.
The petition presented to the court says: “Continuous operations of detention, arrest and penalizing have been carried out against our party members and administrators since 14 April 2009. I have taken part and continue to do so in all activities that have been conducted by all people who are remanded in custody and tried under KCK operations, including party administrators, deputies, chairs and members of city and provincial councils, members of Women and Youth Assembly, human rights defenders, trade unionist, journalists, and academicians. I denounce myself.”
BDP members said that they committed the same "crime" committed by the people who are remanded in custody as part of the KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) operations. “If these actions are accepted as a crime, I also committed the same crimes,” their petitions read.
Answering journalists’ questions after the proceedings, BDP Co-Chair Demirtaþ said that “We are going through a fragile process. Hundreds of BDP members, executives and elected politicians, academicians and authors have been arrested and put in prisons. We will not accept this injustice in silence. Our campaign will spread in all cities and districts.”
Among the recently detained are publisher Ragýp Zarakolu and constitutional law Professor Büþra Ersanlý, who both taught classes at the BDP's Politics Academy. Their detentions and subsequent arrests sparked outrage from the BDP as well as civil society groups both in Turkey and abroad.
The petition presented to the court says: “Continuous operations of detention, arrest and penalizing have been carried out against our party members and administrators since 14 April 2009. I have taken part and continue to do so in all activities that have been conducted by all people who are remanded in custody and tried under KCK operations, including party administrators, deputies, chairs and members of city and provincial councils, members of Women and Youth Assembly, human rights defenders, trade unionist, journalists, and academicians. I denounce myself.”
