Turkey: More evidence pro-Kurdish BDP party takes instructions from KCK, umbrella organization of PKK

The Zaman daily on Saturday published photographs of Diyarbakır’s BDP Mayor Osman Baydemir, showing him entering and later exiting a building where he was being tried in a KCK court.

The indictment of suspects under arrest in the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) investigation, excerpts of which were published on Sunday, and photographs published in the Turkish media on Saturday have provided further evidence that the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) takes direct orders from the KCK, an umbrella organization that administers the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its affiliated groups.

The Zaman daily on Saturday published photographs of Diyarbakır’s BDP Mayor Osman Baydemir, showing him entering and later exiting a building where he was being tried in a KCK court. Prosecutors investigating the KCK’s operations claim the KCK attempts to establish an alternative state mechanism with a judicial system and security forces.

Zaman’s story alleged that Baydemir was “questioned” by a KCK representative, who was employed as a laborer in the Diyarbakır Municipality. The photos, according to the story, were taken in 2008. Baydemir had to account for his perceived failure to support the PKK’s campaign for the release of Abdullah Öcalan, the PKK’s leader who has been jailed on an island near İstanbul since his capture in 1997.

A municipal worker, Ümit A., was appointed as a prosecutor probing Baydemir. The paper’s claims are backed by a voice recording in which Baydemir responds to questions from KCK representatives Ümit A., who served as the KCK’s prosecutor, and Seda A.C., who was the “judge” assigned to hear the trial. Baydemir released a statement on Saturday denying the claims.

“Assertions that I have been questioned by a formation outside our party are untrue. I heard the names of the persons who are said to have questioned me from the press. These claims are not only lies, but also a direct insult to my person.”

The voice recording was released last year, long before Saturday’s photographs. The voice that allegedly belongs to Ümit A. is heard saying, “You have 30 days to file an appeal.” The voice that allegedly belongs to Baydremir responds, “I have no plans to object.”
Then the same voice asks, “Does this mean that the verdict is that we haven’t lived up to our responsibility?” The voice that allegedly belongs to Seda A.C. says, “This is the case according to the papers referred to us.” In the rest of the recording, the voices that allegedly belong to Seda A.C. and Ümit A. are heard defending the ruling, which the voice that is attributed to Baydemir sounds displeased about the ruling. It is not clear what the ruling was from the recording.

Baydemir released another statement on Sunday morning, accusing “some media outlets” of using him to justify the arrests that have taken place as part of the operations into the KCK. The BDP says nearly 4,000 people have been rounded up, but Justice Minister İdris Naim Şahin said on Friday that the number of people arrested was 485.

However, BDP officials denied this in later statements over the weekend, saying they were ready to share the full list of names of those that were taken in as part of the operations. A large number of BDP members, including mayors and district branch presidents, have been arrested on charges of membership in the KCK.

In another leak to the media, the Star daily on Sunday published an excerpt from the indictment in the case. Hundreds have been arrested in police operations against the PKK since they were launched last year. The suspects are being accused of membership in a terrorist organization, threatening the unity of the state and similar crimes.

The Diyarbakır Specially Authorized 4th High Criminal Court is hearing the case. The indictment includes transcripts of other wiretap records where Sabri Ok, a PKK representative in charge of the KCK’s European operations, is heard giving orders to BDP deputies. In one, Ok is heard scolding Kamuran Yüksek, the deputy chairman of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), the BDP’s predecessor, over his message that BDP chairman Selahattin Demirtaş and Deputy Chairwoman Gültan Kışanak will not be able to attend a meeting in Europe. Ok is heard saying, “These two are not coming to Italy I hear. This is not like visiting a neighbor. They have scheduled an appointment at the European Council. How can they be so unserious?” Yüksek, sounding apologetic, says, “Well, they said they had resolved it.” Sabri Ok then gives his orders, “Both of them will absolutely be there. Both Selahattin and the other one. What’s her name, Gül, Gültan? Both of them will come. I don’t want to hear any excuses. Both of them will be there.”

The KCK however, denies that it gives orders to Kurdish politicians. On Saturday, the Taraf daily published a lengthy letter it received from Murat Karayılan, head of the KCK’s Executive Council, and  one of the PKK’s most valued commanders. Karayılan in his letter criticized Taraf’s policy on the Kurdish issue and the PKK, accusing it of attempting to absolve the government of all responsibility in the Kurdish issue. Karayılan claimed that most of the stories Taraf published were lies. He denied a story from Taraf that the KCK had ordered BDP deputies to return to Parliament, which they boycotted earlier this year for several months.

09 October 2011
SOURCE:  TODAY’S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL