Gültan Kışanak, in her defence at the Kobani (Kobanê) trial on Monday, vehemently contested the legitimacy of the court, charging it as a facilitator for the authoritarian regime in Turkey and equating the judicial process to a medieval inquisition.
Former co-mayor of the Kurdish-majority Diyarbakır (Amed) Metropolitan Municipality Kışanak delivered a substantial defence in the ongoing Kobani trial, which took place at the Sincan Prison Campus in Ankara. Kışanak, a key figure in Kurdish politics, is among the 108 individuals facing charges connected to the 2014 protests which were held against the Turkish government’s perceived inaction during the 2014 ISIS attacks on the northern Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani.
During the trial on Monday, Kışanak questioned the credibility of the court, accusing it of being a tool for the Justice and Development Party (AKP)-Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) authoritarian regime and likening it to medieval inquisition courts. She stated:
“You are trying to clothe the sinister propaganda of the AKP-MHP authoritarian regime with a legal guise. Who are you to judge me?
“Such injustice is unseen anywhere in the world… In the 21st century, the judicial system in Turkey, which claims to be a legal state, subjects us to an inquisition.”
Lawyer Cihan Aydın raised concerns about the fairness of the trial, highlighting that Kışanak has been unlawfully detained for 75 days. Aydın’s requests for a thorough investigation into the allegations against Kışanak, including an examination of digital evidence and news articles from Fırat News Agency (ANF), were met with resistance from the court.
Kışanak’s defence centred around three main issues: the Kurdish problem, the struggle for women’s freedom and the aim of the case to eliminate democratic politics. “What is the Kurdish problem, how can it be solved? I wanted to explain these, but you are so audacious about illegality that I want to say a few words about the procedure,” she urged. “If you say ‘we do not recognise [the Kurdish issue],’ then we do not recognise you either.”
She asserted that the court was criminalising legitimate political activities, including her participation in the March 8 and November 25 women’s rights movements. “I have no activities that I cannot defend. I am a woman who has never hurt anyone or incited anyone to commit a crime in my life… We women will make our greatest career by overthrowing your fascist reign.”
Various organisations supported Kışanak and echoed her sentiments, including representatives from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) co-chairs Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, members of the Peace Mothers vigil group, and members of the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK). Hatimoğulları highlighted Kışanak’s role as a crucial actor in the Kurdish movement and her stance against male-dominated politics.
The trial, which has drawn significant attention for its implications on Kurdish politics and human rights in Turkey, continues amidst calls for fair and impartial proceedings. The slogan ‘Jin Jiyan Azadî’ (Woman, Life, Freedom) marked the end of the public statement supporting Kışanak outside the prison.
