The sixth sitting of the third hearing of the Kobani Trial against 108 people, 24 of whom are imprisoned, has started at the Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court today.

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MPs as well as party executives and many people are attending the hearing at the Sincan Prison Campus Hall.

HDP former co-chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, dismissed co-mayor of Amed Metropolitan Municipality Gültan Kışanak, HDP former Central Executive Board (MYK) member Zeynep Ölbeci, former co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Emine Ayna are attending the hearing through the sound and video information system (SEGBİS) from the prisons where they are held. HDP former MYK members Can Memiş, Berfin Özgü Köse and Cihan Erdal, who have been released last week, were connected to the hearing with SEGBİS from Istanbul.

HDP former MPs Gülser Yıldırım and Aysel Tuğluk who are jailed pending trial and İmralı Delegation Spokesperson Sırrı Süreyya Önder, as well as Ahmet Türk, Gülfer Akkaya and Altan Tan who are tried without arrest did not attend the hearing by citing excuses. Kars Municipality former co-mayor Ayhan Bilgen did not attend the sitting because he is excluded from the hearing due to health problems.

POLITICIANS WHO ARE HELD HOSTAGE

Democratic Regions Party (DBP) former co-chair Sebahat Tuncel, former MP Ayla Akat Ata, HDP former spokesperson Günay Kubilay, HDP Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) member Ali Ürküt, former deputy Emine Beyza Üstün, İbrahim Binici, HDP Foreign Relations Commission member Nazmi Gür, HDP new term MYK member Alp Altınörs, Meryem Adıbelli, HDP former treasurer Zeki Çelik, HDP former MYK members Pervin Oduncu, Ayşe Yağcı, Bircan Yorulmaz, Bülent Parmaksiz, İsmail Şengül, Dilek Yağ and Sibel Akdeniz and writer Nezir Çakan were present at the courtroom.

Nezir Çakan, who is jailed pending trial, made his defence. He said that the witness statements were baseless and requested his release. Çakan's lawyer, Şeyhmus Bayhan pointed to the contradictory statements of witnesses.

The politicians are continuing to make their defence.