TURKISH PROSECUTORS BEGIN ASSAULT ON NEW KURDISH PARTY

Asbarez
Feb 2nd, 2010

ANKARA (Hurriyet)-The chief public prosecutor’s office in Ankara
has started an investigation into the First Extraordinary General
Congress of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). The BDP
was formed in early 2008, a few months after an indictment against
the now-closed Democratic Society Party was announced.

In the congress on Sunday, delegates elected Selahattin DemirtaÅ~_
as the new leader.

The investigation was launched on alleged crimes of "turning people
against the military," "contradicting the Political Parties Act" and
"praising crime and criminals," according to the Anatolia news agency.

Persecutors alleged the congress committed the crimes because the
meeting didn’t open with the singing of the Turkish national anthem.

They also point to the reading out of names of killed Kurdistan
Workers’ Party (PKK) members during the meeting as a major violation.

The prosecutor will request records of the congress from security
forces, the agency said.

But according to a daily Milliyet story on Tuesday, this request might
fizzle out. The newspaper said the police department in Ankara wanted
to record voice and visuals during the congress, but could not get
the necessary permission from the courts.

In the past, events at congresses of successive pro-Kurdish political
parties were all recorded by police forces and the tapes were handed
over to prosecutors to be used in cases opened against the parties.

Last week’s police request was turned down by the courts, but the
police department appealed, Milliyet said. The upper court upheld
the decision. Thus, police officers were not able to have records
of the congress hall, although slogans and "illegal banners" outside
the congress venue were recorded, according to the police.