Kurdish opposition leaders sentenced

ANKARA -- The State Security Court (DGM) ruled on June 4 that the pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HADEP) is linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and sentenced party officials and members to prison terms for their part in incidents that occurred at the HADEP congress last year.

The DGM announced that an order to close down the party would be sent to the Court of Appeals.

The case arose from an incident during HADEP's second congress on June 23, 1996, in which the Turkish flag was publicly torn down and slogans supporting the struggle of the PKK chanted.

Yusuf Alatas, HADEP's attorney, said the case was completely political and the results predictable. Alatas said HADEP would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Nearly 30 members of HADEP were sentenced to four years in prison for “assisting the terrorists”. The chairperson of the party, Murat Bozlak, received a sentence of six years.

Faysal Akcan, who was accused of pulling down the flag at the congress, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Security officials who were present in the hall during the party congress will also be indicted on the grounds that they did not object to the flag being pulled down, court officials said.

HADEP was established in 1994 after the Democracy Party (DEP) was closed by the Constitutional Court for alleged separatism and 13 of its deputies were expelled from parliament. Four DEP members are still imprisoned for having links with the PKK.

Meanwhile, PKK fighters claimed responsibility for the June 4 crash of a Turkish helicopter gunship taking part in the invasion of southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq). The US-supplied Sikorsky aircraft was downed over the Zap Valley by anti-aircraft missiles, killing all 11 Turkish soldiers on board.
[From Press-Agency Ozgurluk (http://www.xs4all.nl/ ozgurluk).]

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