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Turkish Prosecutors Begin Assault On New Kurdish Party

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  • Turkish Prosecutors Begin Assault On New Kurdish Party

    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.
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