The third session of the third hearing of the Kobanê Trial against 108 people, 24 of whom are arrested, has started at the Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court. Peoples’ Democratic People (HDP) MPs as well as administrators and many people attended the hearing held in the Sincan Prison Campus Hall.

HDP former co-chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, who remain in prison, Amed Metropolitan Municipality former co-mayor Gültan Kışanak, HDP former central executive board (MYK) member Meryem Adıbelli attended the hearing through the sound and video information system (SEGBIS) from prisons. Democratic Regions Party (DBP) former co-chair Emine Ayna and HDP former MP Gülser Yıldırım, who stand on trial under arrest, did not attend the hearing citing an excuse.

Imrali Delegation Spokesperson Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Ahmet Türk, Gülfer Akkaya and Altan Tan, who are tried pending trial, also did not attend the hearing citing excuses.

Democratic Regions Party (DBP) former co-chair Sebahat Tuncel, Kurdish politician 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, HDP former treasurer Zeki Çelik, HDP former MYK members Pervin Oduncu, Ayşe Yağcı, Bircan Yorulmaz, Zeynep Ölbeci, Bülent Parmaksiz, İsmail Şengül, Dilek Yağ and Sibel Akdeniz were present in the courtroom.

PROVOCATION BY RACIST GROUP

As the trial started, a racist group marched with flags in their hands inside the courthouse, chanting slogans against HDP. The police did not interfere in the racist group.

HDP former MYK members Berfin Özgü Köse, Cihan Erdal and Can Memiş, who were released yesterday, attended the hearing through SEGBIS from Istanbul, while former Kars co-mayor Ayhan Bilgen also attended the hearing.

 'YOU CAN'T CHANGE THE TRUTH'

Former HDP Central Executive Board (MYK) Member Bircan Yorulmaz stated that she did not receive the case documents.

Yorulmaz said that she faces thousands of years in prison and life imprisonment in an indictment accepted 6 years and 3 months after the Kobanê protests.

“The HDP is on trial, and Tweets are on trial. The ECtHR has ruled on this. After the ECtHR decision, the tweets should be removed from the indictment. Some facts do not change. One cannot change the fact that HDP exceeded the election threshold, received 6 million votes and is the third party of the Parliament.”

Yorulmaz mentioned the attacks carried out by ISIS in the world and in Europe. She also talked about the political atmosphere in Turkey during the period when ISIS attacked Kobanê.

“The government created a misperception that people were out on the streets following the HDP's call as if there was no human tragedy in Syria and women were not being gang-raped.”