Newala Qesaba trial opened in Siirt
Newala Qesaba trial opened in Siirt
The first hearing of the trial against 36 people arrested in connection with the Newala Qesaba march organized by MEYA-DER (association of relatives of the disappeared people) in Siirt opened with crisis during the defense of the accused.
In connection with the march to Newala Qesaba, the mass grave near Siirt, 36 people, among them 16 arrested including Siirt Mayor Selim Sadak and BDP PM member Faruk Saðlam, were accused of ‘spreading propaganda for the terror organization’. The accusation claimed that the press statement and march were performed upon the call of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party).
While heavy security measures were taken in and around the courthouse before the hearing at Diyarbakýr 7th High Criminal Court, the trial of the case against 36 people started with the warning of chief judge Necati Türkmen who said to defendants that “You may not like the statements I will make now but I warn beforehead that I demand silence in the court hall in the face of the accusations that you may find meaningless or raise an objection to.”
Following the identity control of defendants, the trial continued with the defense of Zeynep Yýldýrým who was accused of joining and organizing the “Newala Qesaba march” and “Democratic Solution Tent” activities at different dates in 2011. Defendant Yýldýrým said the followings in her statement; “As a Kurdish citizen of the Turkish Republic, I firstly apologize from the Kurdish people for not being able to use the Kurdish language here. On the other hand, I joined these activities to demand the revelation of unidentified murders but it is interesting that we are standing trial while the mentioned mass graves are being opened by authorities.”
Following Yýldýrým’s statement in Turkish, another defendant Ayten Timurtaþ was also not allowed to express herself in Kurdish against the accusations directed by the court board.
The hearing therewith continued with the defense of Siirt Mayor Selim Sadak who commented his participation in the mentioned activities as “quite usual” and remarked that the single purpose of these activities was to enable the development of democracy. Sadak put emphasis on the accusations directed with reference to the Newala Qesaba march and pointed out that he had made these efforts to relieve the pain of families who were looking for the bodies of their children in mass graves. Sadak underlined that the call for the march was made by MEYA-DER, not by the PKK and added; “I didn’t receive orders from anyone except from my inner conscience.”
Sadak noted that he could hardly perform his duty because of the trials of the cases opened against him and called on all those responsible to deal with this matter.
In connection with the march to Newala Qesaba, the mass grave near Siirt, 36 people, among them 16 arrested including Siirt Mayor Selim Sadak and BDP PM member Faruk Saðlam, were accused of ‘spreading propaganda for the terror organization’. The accusation claimed that the press statement and march were performed upon the call of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party).
While heavy security measures were taken in and around the courthouse before the hearing at Diyarbakýr 7th High Criminal Court, the trial of the case against 36 people started with the warning of chief judge Necati Türkmen who said to defendants that “You may not like the statements I will make now but I warn beforehead that I demand silence in the court hall in the face of the accusations that you may find meaningless or raise an objection to.”
Following the identity control of defendants, the trial continued with the defense of Zeynep Yýldýrým who was accused of joining and organizing the “Newala Qesaba march” and “Democratic Solution Tent” activities at different dates in 2011. Defendant Yýldýrým said the followings in her statement; “As a Kurdish citizen of the Turkish Republic, I firstly apologize from the Kurdish people for not being able to use the Kurdish language here. On the other hand, I joined these activities to demand the revelation of unidentified murders but it is interesting that we are standing trial while the mentioned mass graves are being opened by authorities.”
Following Yýldýrým’s statement in Turkish, another defendant Ayten Timurtaþ was also not allowed to express herself in Kurdish against the accusations directed by the court board.
The hearing therewith continued with the defense of Siirt Mayor Selim Sadak who commented his participation in the mentioned activities as “quite usual” and remarked that the single purpose of these activities was to enable the development of democracy. Sadak put emphasis on the accusations directed with reference to the Newala Qesaba march and pointed out that he had made these efforts to relieve the pain of families who were looking for the bodies of their children in mass graves. Sadak underlined that the call for the march was made by MEYA-DER, not by the PKK and added; “I didn’t receive orders from anyone except from my inner conscience.”
Sadak noted that he could hardly perform his duty because of the trials of the cases opened against him and called on all those responsible to deal with this matter.
