In a recent interview with İrfan Aktan of Artı Gerçek, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Law and Human Rights Commission spokeswoman Nuray Özdoğan described the ongoing Kobanê Case in Turkey as a Kafkaesque trial. She argued that the case has been transformed into a form of revenge for the Islamic State’s (ISIS) failure to capture the northern Syrian city of Kobanê.
“The Kobanê case is based on a tweet from the HDP’s Central Executive Committee, which called for protests against ISIS’s attacks on Kobanê and the AKP’s embargo,” Özdoğan explained, referring to the ruling party’s refusal to help the Kurdish resistance against ISIS. “It’s a clear example of how a single tweet can be used as a weapon in a political trial.”
Özdoğan also suggested that the case is being conducted according to a timeline that aligns with election schedules and political objectives. “Scandalous documents forgotten by the prosecutor have emerged from the case file,” she revealed, raising questions about the fairness of the legal process.
The Kobanê case has significant implications for the HDP, with its leaders being held responsible for all violent incidents that occurred in the aftermath of the tweet. “This includes a range of events, from broken windows to toppled statues, across various cities,” Özdoğan pointed out.
She criticised the legal process, stating that the court has not accepted any witness testimonies in the three years of the trial. She also pointed out that the court has not considered any evidence in favour of the defendants and has ignored certain information while focusing on others to strengthen the case against them.
“The main evidence against the HDP is a single tweet,” Özdoğan reiterated, questioning the basis of the case.
“The HDP had already been calling for protests against the situation in Kobanê before the tweet was posted, and the government was aware of these protests.”
Özdoğan suggested that the Kobanê case is a political trial, with the government using it to target the HDP. “The case was initiated just before a significant ruling by the European Court of Human Rights regarding the unjust detention of Selahattin Demirtaş, a former HDP leader,” she noted.
