Medya News spoke to Zübeyir Aydar, member of the Kurdistan National Congress’s (KNK) Executive Board, who expressed his view that the Kobane trial was prepared on the wish of Turkish President Erdoğan, who wanted to “satisfy his vengeful feelings”.
On 16 May, the final decision of the so-called Kobanê trial was issued in the Ankara court. This trial had been going on for eight years and involved 108 Kurdish politicians. Former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ have been given sentences of 42 and 32 years respectively.
Aydar clarified that this decision was not a lawful decision by an independent court, but that it was a political one. He explained that the case was prepared by Erdoğan’s regime and then given to the court who made the final decision according to the request of the Turkish president.
He continued, saying that this decision is part of Turkey’s anti-Kurdish policy, which has been going on for over a century and in which “the Kurds are always seen as the culprits and there has never been a decision in favour of the Kurdish people” and that legal proceedings are a part of Erdoğan’s attacks against the Kurdish people.
Furthermore, Aydar explained that the Kurdish politicians Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, who have received heavy sentences, were doing “nothing but legal politics and protesting against the attacks of ISIS” and that at that time in 2015, “the whole world protested against ISIS”, adding that one reason why Kobane didn’t fall into the hands of ISIS were these protests that are now being criminalised.
He also emphasised that “just as Erdoğan currently calls Hamas a freedom movement, he also called ISIS a freedom movement” and repeated that Erdoğan is seeing ISIS as a partner. “Because ISIS lost the fight against the Kurdish people, he is now taking revenge with this court case” he said, adding that “the world needs to see this truth”.
The Executive council of the KNK has also issued a statement, highlighting that “The trial and punishment of Kurdish politicians is a political decision”.
In the statement, the KNK begins by explaining the backgrounds of the Kobane trial, stating that, “In the fall of 2014, with the support of the Turkish state, ISIS forces attacked the city of Kobanê and a heavy war took place in the area. The Kurdish people, Kurdish fighters and friends of the Kurds resisted and as a result defeated ISIS.”
During that heavy battle, when ISIS forces were advancing, Erdoğan went to the Syrian border and announced, “Kobane is about to fall”. At that time, Kurds and friends of Kurds were on their feet all over Kurdistan and in the world. Erdoğan’s speech created a big reaction and the Kurdish people in the north of Kurdistan (Turkey) rose up in rebellion and Turkish state forces attacked the protestors, killing more than 50 people.
The KNK pointed out that Kurdish politicians were later accused of murdering these 50 demonstrators. After the historic victory of the Kurdish forces and the international coalition against ISIS in Kobane, Erdoğan responded with the Kobane lawsuit to “take revenge on the Kurdish forces that had defeated ISIS”.
Emphasising that “Today’s decision is a political and planned decision”, the KNK enumerates the history of these political court cases against Kurdish leaders and politicians that began after the establishment of the Republic of Turkey.
“This trial, this punishment, determines the policy of the Turkish state towards the Kurds” the KNK said, stating that they “do not accept this terrible and unjust decision”.
They ended their statement by calling on “all the people of Kurdistan and friends of Kurds not to remain silent against this injustice and exercise their legitimate and democratic rights” and on the “Anti-ISIS Coalition and the democratic world to not let the Kurdish people be alone and support the Kurdish politicians.”
