Since 2009, over 8,000 people in Turkey have been arrested as part of anti-terror operations against the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union). The detainees include elected officials, such as BDP deputy Sebahat Tuncel, who was last week sentenced to 8 years in prison. Peace is Kurdistan has arranged for people such as Margaret Owen OBE, who observed the hearings of 36 Kurdish lawyers on trial for defending Abdullah Ocalan, to monitor these trials. We’d like to encourage individuals to follow up that work by attending the sentencing of those lawyers, which is expected to happen on 6 November.
The dates for recent and upcoming KCK hearings are as follows:
28 August: Şirnak KCK, at Diyarbakir 6. High Criminal Court 2-12/24
31 August: Izmir KCK: Trial of 34 people arrested before Newroz at Izmir High Criminal Court
5 September: KCK Aydın Trial (29 defendants including 9 arrestees) in Ozmir
7 September: Şerzan KURT, at Eskisehir High Criminal Court
10 – 14 September: Kurdish Journalists’ trial (44 defendants including 36 arrestees) in Istanbul
13 September: Siirt KCK, at Diyarbakir 4. High Criminal Court
20 September: Hakkari KCK, at Van High Criminal Court
21 September: KCK Main Case 2010/444 Main21/09 at Diyarbakir 6. High Criminal Court)
21 September: Adana KCK, at Adana 8.High Criminal Court
22 September: Izmir KCK (Nizamettin OZTURK and Others) at Izmir High Criminal Court
24 September: Sirnak KCK (Faysal SARIYILDIZ and Others) 2009/680 Main at Diyarbakir 6. High Criminal Court
28 September: Antep KCK, at Aana 8 High Criminal Court
29 September: KCK Main Trial (152 defendants including 104 arrestees) in Diyarbakir
1 – 9 October: BDP Politics Academy Trial (205 defendants including 140 arrestees) in Istanbul
2 October: Silopi KCK, at Diyarbakir 5.High Criminal Court
3 October: Mersin KCK, at Adana 7. High Criminal Court
4 October: Adana KCK, Adana 8.High Criminal Court
4 October: KESK Women Case, at Ankara 11. High Criminal Court
17 October: Batman KCK (Seyhmus Bulbul and Others) at Diyarbakir 7.High Criminal Court
22 October: KCK Adana Trial (47 defendants including 35 arrestees) in Adana
31 October: Cizre KCK, at Diyarbakir 7. High Criminal Court
1 November: Urfa KCK (Ibrahim Ayhan and others) at Diyarbakir 5.High Criminal Court
6 November: Kurdish Lawyers’ Trial (50 defendants including 36 arrestees) in Istanbul
6 November: “The Operation of Return” at Bakirkoy High Criminal Court
8 November: Mardin KCK-Gulser YILDIRIM at Diyarbakir 5.High Criminal Court
12 November: Kurdish Journalists’ trial (44 defendants including 36 arrestees) in Silivri Prison court, Istanbul
2 December: KCK Şırnak Trial (61 defendants including 43 arrestees) in Diyarbakir
6 December: Batman KCK at Diyarbakir 6. High Criminal Court