Trial of former HDP leader Figen Yüksekdağ and ex-HDP MPs continues; arrest warrant issued for Ertuğrul Kürkçü
The trial of former HDP Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ and seven former HDP MPs resumed, relating to their 2015 visit to the Silvan district during curfews imposed amid conflict in southeastern Turkey. The 10th hearing took place at the Silvan Criminal Court of First Instance, though none of the defendants or their lawyers were present.
The defendants, including former HDP Group Deputy Chairs İdris Baluken and Çağlar Demirel, and MPs Altan Tan, Ahmet Yıldırım, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Mehmet Ali Aslan, and Saadet Becerikli, face charges of "resisting an officer," "insulting public officials," and "insulting the president."
The court ordered the arrest of Ertuğrul Kürkçü, as his testimony could not be obtained from abroad. It also ruled to await the enforcement of an outstanding arrest warrant for Saadet Becerikli. Additionally, the court decided to summon Yüksekdağ via video link (SEGBİS) for the next hearing. The trial was postponed to December 5, 2024, to address pending issues.
Background
The indictment, prepared by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, names as complainants several high-profile figures, including then-Silvan Deputy Police Chief Osman Gündüz, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, and former Interior Minister Efkan Ala. The charges stem from statements allegedly made by the MPs during their visit to Silvan on November 12, 2015, and a subsequent altercation with police, which was used as evidence in the case.
Originally filed in the Diyarbakır 8th Criminal Court of First Instance, the case was transferred to the Silvan court due to jurisdictional issues, and further complications arose when two MPs, Hüda Kaya and Feleknas Uca, were re-elected to parliament, prompting their files to be sent to the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM).
The case has seen multiple jurisdictional disputes, with a final decision by the Court of Cassation in 2021 confirming that the trial should proceed in Silvan.
