Kurdish politicians have condemned the harsh sentences handed down in Turkey’s notorious Kobani (Kobanê) trial, describing the verdict as a “legal massacre” and a reward to ISIS. On 16 May, the court sentenced 36 individuals, including prominent pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) leaders, to lengthy prison terms.
HDP co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ received 30 years and 3 months, while her colleague and co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş was sentenced to 42 years. In total, 24 politicians were handed a cumulative 401 years and 79 months in prison. The trial stems from the 2014 Kobani protests, which erupted in Turkey in response to ISIS’s attack on the predominantly Kurdish city in northern Syria.
“Calling for support and solidarity under conditions where women were raped, children were kidnapped and genocide was committed is not a crime,” said politician Günay Kubilay. “History will not forgive those who rewarded ISIS by punishing those who opposed its barbarity.”
Zeynep Karaman, another politician, highlighted their unwavering resistance. “Despite the sentences, we continue to say ‘Jin, jiyan, azadî’ (Woman, life, freedom),” she said. Karaman stressed the historical significance of their stance against genocides both in Kobani and in Sinjar (Şengal) in northern Iraq, drawing strength from their worthy cause.
Zeynep Ölbeci, expressing her view that she and the other Kurdish politicians had been held hostage, denounced the trial as a work of “political engineering” with no legal basis. “Our dreams are being stolen, but solidarity keeps us standing,” she stated.
Alp Altınörs criticised the lengthy sentences for actions as minor as a tweet. “A tweet in which the European Court of Human Rights found no criminal element got twenty-two and a half years,” he said, calling the trial a legal travesty.
Ali Ürküt emphasised their commitment to democracy and peace, undeterred by the repercussions. “We view these days as temporary and will not compromise on our fight for our beliefs,” he asserted, extending greetings to supporters.
Despite the harsh outcomes, İsmail Şengül declared their determination to continue their struggle against ISIS’s atrocities in Kobani. “We couldn’t remain silent while ISIS committed massacres and kidnapped and tortured people. Our conscience is clear, and we will grow our struggle together,” he affirmed.
Nazmi Gür reiterated their cause for democracy, peace and freedom. “Our struggle is for freedom, and we are ready to pay the price if necessary. We hope this legal injustice ends soon,” he said, thanking those who stood in solidarity with them.
