Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) leader Ahmet Turk watches a television broadcasting the speech of Turkish Interior Minister Besir Atalay in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir August 31, 2009. Reuters
Two DTP legislators are on trial, accused of Kurdish rebel propaganda.
A criminal court has ruled that five Kurdish lawmakers who are refusing to make a deposition must be forcibly brought to testify at a hearing in December.
Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party DTP legislators Emine Ayna and Selahattin Demirtas are on trial separately, accused of Kurdish rebel propaganda.
Todayszaman reported that five deputies of the DTP party are not immune from prosecution and must show up in court to be tried for spreading "terrorist" Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) propaganda.
The Ankara 11th High Criminal Court ruled that DTP leader and Mardin deputy Ahmet Turk must officially be notified of the court proceedings and that Mardin deputy Emine Ayna and Diyarbakir deputy Selahattin Demirtaş must be present at the hearing, even if it involves police force in bringing them to trial. The case against Diyarbakir deputy Aysel Tugluk has been postponed by the court.
They are refusing to testify, arguing that Kurdish lawmakers are being unfairly singled out for prosecution while courts are ignoring crimes by other legislators.
The court ruled Tuesday that the two should be brought to court on Dec. 29 by police. Party leader Ahmet Turk, who also refused to testify, will be sent another summons.
Ayna and Demirtas say they will not testify even if forced to go to the court.
Their party faces possible closure for alleged ties to Kurdish PKK guerrillas.
Since 1984 the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey (Turkey-Kurdistan) which has claimed around 45,000 lives of Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK guerrillas. A large Turkey's Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK rebels. Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population as a distinct minority.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds' identity in its constitution and of their language as a native language along with Turkish in the country's Kurdish areas; the party also demanded an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and constitution against Kurds, ranting them full political freedoms.
The PKK is considered a 'terrorist' organization by Ankara, U.S., the PKK continues to be on the blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which overturned a decision to place the Kurdish rebel group PKK and its political wing on the European Union's terror list.
Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population as a distinct minority. It has allowed some cultural rights such as limited broadcasts in the Kurdish language and private Kurdish language courses with the prodding of the European Union, but Kurdish politicians say the measures fall short of their expectations.
Pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party DTP legislators Emine Ayna and Selahattin Demirtas are on trial separately, accused of Kurdish rebel propaganda.
Todayszaman reported that five deputies of the DTP party are not immune from prosecution and must show up in court to be tried for spreading "terrorist" Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) propaganda.
The Ankara 11th High Criminal Court ruled that DTP leader and Mardin deputy Ahmet Turk must officially be notified of the court proceedings and that Mardin deputy Emine Ayna and Diyarbakir deputy Selahattin Demirtaş must be present at the hearing, even if it involves police force in bringing them to trial. The case against Diyarbakir deputy Aysel Tugluk has been postponed by the court.
They are refusing to testify, arguing that Kurdish lawmakers are being unfairly singled out for prosecution while courts are ignoring crimes by other legislators.
The court ruled Tuesday that the two should be brought to court on Dec. 29 by police. Party leader Ahmet Turk, who also refused to testify, will be sent another summons.
Ayna and Demirtas say they will not testify even if forced to go to the court.
Their party faces possible closure for alleged ties to Kurdish PKK guerrillas.
Since 1984 the PKK took up arms for self-rule in the mainly Kurdish southeast of Turkey (Turkey-Kurdistan) which has claimed around 45,000 lives of Turkish soldiers and Kurdish PKK guerrillas. A large Turkey's Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK rebels. Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population as a distinct minority.
The PKK demanded Turkey's recognition of the Kurds' identity in its constitution and of their language as a native language along with Turkish in the country's Kurdish areas; the party also demanded an end to ethnic discrimination in Turkish laws and constitution against Kurds, ranting them full political freedoms.
The PKK is considered a 'terrorist' organization by Ankara, U.S., the PKK continues to be on the blacklist list in EU despite court ruling which overturned a decision to place the Kurdish rebel group PKK and its political wing on the European Union's terror list.
Turkey refuses to recognize its Kurdish population as a distinct minority. It has allowed some cultural rights such as limited broadcasts in the Kurdish language and private Kurdish language courses with the prodding of the European Union, but Kurdish politicians say the measures fall short of their expectations.
