Ayla Akat, Free Women's Congress (Congreya Jinên Azad, KJA) Term Spokesperson and 2 term BDP MP for Batman, was arrested with allegations of “leading a terrorist organisation” with her work in the DTK and the press statements and demonstrations she attended framed as “illegal organisation activity”, in the investigation ran by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

Akat was taken to Kandıra Type F Prison together with Amed Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayors Gültan Kışanak and Fırat Anlı and it came to light that she was sent back without her statement taken by the prosecutor who ran the investigation, despite being taken to the court house before to give a statement. The police told detained Akat before she was brought to court that she “should be arrested any time now, they will take you to Istanbul.”

KURDISH POLITICIAN SPEAKING OF EDUCATION IN THE NATIVE TONGUE IS A CRIME!

The investigation case file is based on the year 2007 when the DTK was formed by approximately 400 NGOs in the region that came together. Akat’s phone was tapped dozens of times with court orders between 2011 and 2012 in the investigation launched by the Cemaat members who were most effective and organised in the police force and the judiciary and all DTK meetings Akat Ata, a MP and member of the Law and Constitution Commission member in DTK at the time, attended. Akat’s speeches and analyses in these meetings on the founding and the mission of the DTK, education in the native language, democratic autonomy, Kurdish National Conference and current political developments were recorded and presented as evidence of crimes. The investigation case file was shelved due to the “resolution process”, but was reactivated in 2015. Akat attending March 8 activities held by the KJA in 2015 and 2016 and her press statements were also considered crimes.

MILF SUPPORTED BY TURKEY ALSO DUBBED “TERRORIST ORGANISATION”

Akat’s handwritten notes taken during her visit to the Philippines to inspect the solution experience and the peace deal that ended 40 years of war between the Philippines state and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were similarly considered an evidence of crime. Turkey was in the independent monitoring council on this conflict. MILF was dubbed a “terrorist organisation” in the negotiations supported by Turkey and Akat was asked this scandalous question:

“ (...) When the notes are considered as a whole, they appear to be notes including research done by you on the deal made by the Philippines state with the MILF terrorist organisation, and that you have engaged in activities in line with the goals of the PKK, KCK terrorist organisation in an effort to make Turkey recognize the PKK, KCK terrorist organisation and to legitimize the activities of the terrorist organisation. Please make your statement in detail on the subject.”