08 Dec 2017 | 07:54 PM UTC
Turkey: Kurdish leader on trial in Ankara December 7
Trial for pro-Kurdish opposition party leader begins in Ankara December 7; protests and traffic disruptions possible in the coming weeks
Event
The trial of pro-Kurdish opposition party leader Selahattin Demirtaş in absentia began in Ankara on Thursday, December 7. Demirtaş's trial is being held at Sincan Prison; he is charged with leading a terrorist organization, spreading terror propaganda, and inciting hate and crime. If convicted, Demirtaş faces up to 142 years in prison. Human rights groups have criticized his arrest and ongoing detention. Though Demirtaş' trial has adjourned until February 2018, protests against his detention, and consequent traffic disruptions, are possible in Ankara in the coming weeks.
Context
Demirtaş is a leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Over 11,000 HDP officials and affiliates have been arrested and detained in the past year, according to media reports.
A national state of emergency has been in place since 2016 following the failed coup d'état launched by members of the armed forces. Nearly 150,000 people have been fired or forced to resign from their jobs, and over 60,000 people have been arrested. Critics have repeatedly denounced the increasing restrictions of political freedom and human rights violations under the guise of national security. Meanwhile, the Turkish government continues to affirm that such measures are necessary due to prevailing security threats in the country.
Turkey has faced a Kurdish insurgency since 1984, spearheaded by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The conflict has killed over 40,000 people in the decades since and associated violence continues to pose a security risk today. Meanwhile, Ankara has been on high alert since the Iraqi Kurdistan government held an independence referendum on September 25, 2017, leading to fears within Turkey's government that political and/or military advancements by Kurdish forces or political leaders will strengthen the Kurdish insurgency, prompting Turkish authorities to increase pressure and suppression of Kurdish elements in the country.
Advice
Individuals in Turkey are advised to remain vigilant and adhere to any instructions issued by the local authorities. Due to the Turkish government's ongoing conflicts with the PKK as well as the Islamic State (IS), some Western governments advise against travel to areas along the Syrian and Iraqi borders, as well as nonessential travel to the provinces of Şırnak, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Mardin, Şanlıurfa, Kilis, Hatay, Siirt, Tunceli, and Hakkâri.
