Pictured above: Haydar Ergül, editor of Demokratik Modernite
Rabia Çetin
In the ongoing trial known as the "KCK Academy" case, the 22nd hearing was held today (March 14, 2024) at the 22nd High Criminal Court in Istanbul. This case involves the trial of Haydar Ergül, editor of Democratic Modernity magazine, and 15 members of the former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).
The case stems from an investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. On July 28, 2017, a series of house raids were conducted, resulting in the detention of 21 individuals, including members and executives of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and HDP, as well as Haydar Ergül, journalist Ahmet Birsin, and Şeyma Kantarcı, an employee of Jineoloji magazine. The 22nd hearing of the case, which involves charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" against 17 individuals, took place at the Istanbul 22nd High Criminal Court.
During the hearing, a confidential witness who testified against Şeyma Kantarcı, a former HDP Central Executive Committee member and one of the defendants currently detained in another case, claimed to have known Kantarcı since 2012-2013. The witness alleged that Kantarcı was an influential figure in the PKK/KCK's women's organization and had been summoned to Kandi in 2014.
The witness also accused Kantarcı of being involved in "KCK Turkey Finance" activities, alleging interactions with a person named Abdülrahim Atilla for collections.
The prosecutor, reiterating his previous opinion, requested that Şeyma Kantarcı be punished for "membership in a terrorist organization." In his 2023 opinion, the prosecutor claimed that organizational training centers called "Political Academies" were established, and those attending the academy were organizing the distribution and sale of newspapers and magazines to support the organization. The prosecutor's statement also mentioned that the defendants' "defenses aimed at evading crime and punishment" were not considered credible, and he requested that all defendants be punished for "membership in an armed terrorist organization." The presiding judge decided to continue the judicial control measures, including a ban on foreign travel, and postponed the hearing to June 13, 2024, at 10 a.m.
The KCK, an umbrella group that includes the PKK, is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and several other countries. The HDP, a pro-Kurdish party, has faced numerous legal challenges and accusations of having links with the PKK, which the party denies.
