DİYARBAKIR - In the case where Barış Group member Mehmet Şirin Tunç is on trial for "being a member in a terrorist organisation", the prosecutor gave his opinion with a request for up to 15 years in prison.

 

The hearing of the trial in which Kurdish politician Mehmet Şirin Tunç, a member of the Peace Group, is tried at Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court as part of the investigation against the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) activities and the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), of which he is the Deputy Chairperson, was held. At the hearing, where Tunç did not attend and his lawyer Cemille Turhallı Balsak was present, the prosecution submitted its opinion to the court, which was prepared with a request for punishment.

 

The prosecutor noted that Tunç, who came to Turkey as a member of the “Peace Group” in 1999 at the call of PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan, carries out activities as a member of the Human Rights Association (İHD) and he entered and exited the Guesthouse 34 times in 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Tunç participated in the DTK General Assembly in 2011, but did not make a speech, and the technical follow-up of those in the DTK management made a speech among themselves on August 8, 2012, in the meeting on who will be included in the DTK, and in his opinion that Tunç's name was also mentioned. The prosecution argued that Tunç attended the DTK congress on September 16, 2017 and that "organisational propaganda" was made at the congress. Claiming that Tunç participated in press releases, rallies, demonstrations, funerals and condolences in line with the organisation's instructions, the prosecution said that witness Halit Şaşmaz gave "organisational training" at the DBP's Political Academy and Şirda Erol and he participated in the “organisational training” organised in a conversational atmosphere in.

 

'HE TRIED TO INFLUENCE THE MASSES'

 

Claiming that the DTK is the highest decision-making authority in line with the goals of the organisation and that Tunç participated in the actions of his organisational qualities by organising various meetings in the organs of the DTK, the prosecutor said that Tunç, together with other DTK members, to ensure Kurdish national unity on the territory of the four countries, to ensure the unity of the state and they were trying to influence the masses of the people in order to disrupt the integrity and unity of the society and to cause social segregation.

 

PRISON SENTENCE

 

Considering the information documents, witness statements, law enforcement reports, and tape contents in the file, the prosecution argued that Tunç committed the crime of "being a member of a terrorist organisation" in line with the continuity, intensity and diversity of his actions, and demanded that Tunç was sentenced to imprisonment ranging from 7 years, 6 months to 15 years.

 

Tunç's lawyer, Cemile Turhallı Balsak, requested time to defend against the opinion. Turhallı also demanded that the judicial measure control applied to his client be lifted.

 

JUDICIAL CONTROL MEASURE WAS NOT RELEASED

 

Agreeing to allow time until the next hearing for the defense, the court rejected the request for the lifting of the judicial control measure applied to Tunç, and adjourned the hearing to November 15.