<http://www.aknews.com/en/aknews/4/153377/>
Ankara (AKnews) – The Ankara Republic Court’s Prosecutor has opened a case against ex-Chairman of Turkey’s Democratic Society Party (DTP), Ahmet Turk, due to a speech he has made in Kurdish in his Party’s Group Gathering.
Ahmet Turk commented that the trial was against law and democracy, which was requiring imprisonment for him for not less than 6 months.
Due to Ahmet Turk’s speech on the February 24, 2009, in the Turkish National Assembly’s DTP Group Meeting, which he started in Turkish on the February 21 – the World Languages Day’s Celebration, he said: "The Publics should have the rights to express themselves with their own languages," after which he continued his speech in Kurdish. "He is claimed to have committed a crime due to the article 117 of Political Parties Law in Turkey."
In the indictment, which has been prepared by the Republic Prosecutor, Levent Savas, and sent to the Investigation Office of Press Crimes, according to the 81st amendment of article 117 of the Political Parties Law, Ahmet Turk, has been decided to be punished accordingly.
Commenting to AKnews about the case, which has been opened against him, mentioning that he made a speech due to the Mother Tongue Day, he said: "In that speech I have stated that the banning of a language is against democracy and that the language prohibition in the civilized countries is over.
Countries, such as England and Spain, which are multilingual are not applying any kind of these prohibitions. I have also wanted to indicate the wrongness of the language forbiddance in the 21st century," he said.
Turk, mentioning that the case is lacking the essential law claims, said: "According to the laws of Turkey, the studies and speeches done inside the Parliament cannot be subjected to legal prosecution." Turk, stating that the case is against the law, said: "This case is showing the existence of a mentality which still is not taking democracy into account."
In the article 117 of the Political Parties Law, which is requiring for Turk to be tried, it is said that: "Those who commit the forbidden act on the fourth part of this law are to be imprisoned not less than 6 months in case that the act doesn’t require a heavier punishment."
Dk/SH (AKnews)
