ISTANBUL - A prison sentence of up to 15 years is sought for HDP member Hüsamettin Tanrıkulu, who was arrested after Süleyman Soylu targeted him and it was revealed that the "report letter" about him was sent by the police.

 

The decision hearing of the case in which Hüsamettin Tanrıkulu, a former member of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) Youth Assembly, who was detained in Istanbul on September 3, 2022 and arrested after being targeted by the then Minister of Internal Affairs Süleyman Soylu, was tried on the allegation of "Being a member of a terrorist organisation", was held on October 3, 29, in Istanbul. It will be heard at the 1st High Criminal Court. Tanrıkulu's indictment includes the allegation that "he aimed for sensational action by receiving sabotage training from Greece's Lavriov Camp." In addition to two clear witness statements, a "notification email" sent to Silopi District Police Department on October 9, 2021, claiming that Tanrıkulu will "join the terrorist organization" is included as evidence in Tanrıkulu's file.

 

Two witnesses named Kezban Kuday and Şiyar Aydın, who testified about many people on different dates and caused their arrest, said in their statements within the scope of an ongoing case against Tanrıkulu that Tanrıkulu was only carrying out political activities and did not carry out "organizational activities".

 

IT WAS REVEALED THAT EGM SENT THE EMAIL

 

At the first hearing of the case filed against Tanrıkulu, an interim decision was made to investigate who sent the notification e-mail sent to Silopi District Police Department and to hear him as a witness. The investigation revealed that the e-mail was sent by the General Directorate of Security (EGM). Despite this, the court ruled that "the notification e-mail does not constitute evidence on its own, but should be considered as collateral evidence."

 

A prison sentence of 7.5 years to 15 years is requested for Tanrıkulu, who was arrested after Soylu targeted him and although it was revealed that the "reporting e-mail" about him was sent by the EGM.

 

Tanrıkulu's lawyer, Nagehan Avçil, spoke about the lawsuit and allegations against his client.

 

'FICTION WAS PREPARED'

 

Avçil noted that the prosecutor's office asked Tanrıkulu questions about files that had previously been investigated against him and decisions of non-prosecution had been made, and that the prosecutor's office also asked questions about "intelligence" information that Tanrıkulu had received organizational training in Greece. Referring to the notification e-mail sent about Tanrıkulu, Avçil said: " He wanted to go to Hewlêr in the Federated Kurdistan Region and Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, for construction work with his passport at that time, and that he testified about the notification and was released without the condition of judicial control. It was not a citizen who sent the e-mail, but the EGM. Actually, a fiction was prepared. Although it is clear that the 'notification' e-mail sent is a conspiracy rather than evidence, the fact that it is included in the opinion is an extension of enemy law. EGM does not conspire; if there is any 'intelligence' information, it presents it to the court. He does not send notification e-mails like a citizen. When this came to light, the court reversed its interim decision: however, despite this, my client has been detained and tried for a year.”