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Kurdish academic detained by Turkish
police in KCK probe
29.10.2011
By ekurd.net staff writers |
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October 29, 2011
ISTANBUL, —
Turkish Police have detained pro-Kurdish Peace and
Democracy Party (BDP) member Professor Büşra Ersanli,
along with nearly 70 party members, in an operation
against the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) in
Istanbul on Friday, Hurriyet daily news reported.
Ersanli, a political science professor at Marmara
University, is a member of the BDP party assembly
and has a seat on the party's charter preparation
commission, which is working toward drafting a new
constitution. The BDP is primarily focused on the
Kurdish issue.
BDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş reacted harshly to
the detentions, asking for the immediate release of
all detainees,
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Prof. Busra Ersanli (L) is seen with BDP deputy Ayla
Akat Ata. Photo: AA
On October 18, 2010 a Turkish court began the trial of
152 high profile Kurdish politicians and rights
defenders, accused of being the urban wing of
separatist Kurdish PKK rebels. |
including Ersanli, saying the detentions continued
"on the prime minister's bidding."
"We want universal justice to act, not the
government's justice," he said.
Demirtaş said an unconstitutional process was being
carried out and it was "becoming impossible to
discuss [a new] constitution."
"There will not be any staff left in the BDP to
appoint to the Parliament's charter commission if
the detentions continue," he said.
The KCK is accused of being the urban wing of the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is
itself listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey
and much of the international community.
7748 people were taken into
custody and 3895 persons were
arrested in the scope of KCK operations during the past six months, the
pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party announced.
Dozens of BDP executives and employees are still in
prison.
So called KCK-trial, Democratic Confederation of
Kurdistan, on October 18, 2010 a Turkish court began the trial
of 152 high profile Kurdish politicians and rights
defenders, accused of being the urban wing of the
outlawed separatist Kurdish (Kurdistan Workers'
Party) PKK rebels.
The KCK investigation started in December 2009, and
a large number of Kurdish politicians, including
several mayors and officials from the pro-Kurdish
BDP, have
been detained in the case. The suspects are accused
of various crimes, including membership in a
outlawed PKK organization, aiding and abetting a
"terrorist" organization. The BDP says the
KCK investigation is the government’s method of
suppressing its politicians, denying any links
between the suspects and any outlawed organizations.
Since it was established in 1984, the PKK has been
fighting the Turkish state, which still denies the
constitutional existence of Kurds, to establish a
Kurdish state in the south east of the country, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000
lives.
But now its aim is the creation an autonomous
Kurdish region
and more cultural rights for ethnic Kurds who
constitute the greatest minority in Turkey,
numbering more than 20 million. A large Turkey's
Kurdish community openly sympathise with the Kurdish PKK rebels.
PKK's demands included releasing PKK detainees,
lifting the ban on education in Kurdish, paving the
way for an autonomous democrat Kurdish system within
Turkey, reducing pressure on the detained PKK leader
Abdullah Öcalan, stopping military action against
the Kurdish party and recomposing the Turkish
constitution.
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.
The PKK is considered as '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.
Sources: hurriyetdailynews.com | AFP | BIA | Agencies
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