On 10 October 2024, Turkey’s Supreme Court upheld a nine-year, four-month prison sentence for Selçuk Mızraklı, the former mayor of Diyarbakır (Amed) and an influential figure in Kurdish politics. Mızraklı, who is a former member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), was removed from office in 2019 after just five months as mayor. His arrest and subsequent trial were part of a wider government campaign against Kurdish politicians, many of whom were accused of links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Mızraklı, a medical doctor by training, was accused of aiding the PKK by allegedly operating on a wounded member of the group during his time at a private hospital. These charges were largely based on the testimony of an informant, Hicran Berna Ayverdi, who claimed that Mızraklı had treated a PKK member without reporting the case to the authorities. Further allegations came from Ümit Akbıyık, another controversial witness, who claimed that Mızraklı had financially supported events organised by PKK-linked groups during his time as mayor.
His legal team consistently argued that the evidence was insufficient and politically motivated, and that the testimonies were unreliable. Nevertheless, in March 2020, Mızraklı was sentenced to nine years in prison for being a member of an armed terrorist group. The verdict was initially overturned by a higher court on the grounds of insufficient investigation, but after a retrial, the sentence was reinstated.
Mızraklı share, in the last post on his personal X account: “We lost many lives in our march for honour and humanity, we witnessed tens of thousands of decisions of the regime’s courts that documented unlawfulness and injustice. Here, another new decision has been issued.”
Onur ve insanlık yürüyüşümüzde nice canlarımızı yitirdik, rejimin mahkemelerinde onbinlerce hukuksuzluk, adaletsizlik belgesi kararlarına tanık olduk. İşte, yeni bir karar daha çıkmış.
Dedem Seyit Rıza’nın da dediği gibi:
“Ben sizin yalanlarınızla, iftiralarınızla baş… https://t.co/wupeOPfk2H pic.twitter.com/BLK721o0cs
— Dr. Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı (@SelcukMizrakli) October 10, 2024
This case has come to symbolise a wider crackdown on Kurdish political activists in Turkey. Since the 2019 local elections, in which the HDP won numerous municipalities in the predominantly Kurdish southeast, dozens of elected officials have been removed from office and replaced by government-appointed trustees. International bodies such as the Council of Europe have condemned these actions, criticising Turkey for undermining democratic processes and the autonomy of local governments.
The case of Selçuk Mızraklı was particularly prominent, not only because of his role as mayor of one of Turkey’s largest Kurdish cities, but also because of his status as a doctor and respected figure in civil society. Before entering politics, he served as chairman of the Diyarbakır Medical Chamber and was involved in various human rights initiatives.
Mızraklı’s supporters see his imprisonment as part of Turkey’s wider efforts to silence political opposition, particularly within the HDP. His case is now expected to be taken to the European Court of Human Rights, where his legal team is hoping for a more favourable outcome.
Yargı darbeleri karşısında ne Mızraklı ne de tek bir tutsak arkadaşımız başını eğmeyecek!
Merkez Yürütme Kurulumuzun açıklaması:https://t.co/UZqLSrvX9K
— DEM Parti (@DEMGenelMerkezi) October 10, 2024
Following the court’s decision, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) released a statement strongly condemning the ruling, calling it a “political, not legal” decision. The statement called the ruling “a continuation of the government’s oppression of Kurdish politicians and the will of the people”.
