Objection from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality to the acquittal of Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) demanded that HDP politicians Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, who were acquitted in the Kobani case, be punished for the damage they caused to public property.

According to a report by Ceren Bayar from T24, Demirtaş, Yüksekdağ and other HDP members received sentences of up to 42 years in prison on some charges related to the Kobani protests and violence, but were acquitted on charges such as murder, looting and damage to property.

Petition of Objection from Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) has made a notable move regarding this matter. The IMM appealed the decision, claiming that the damage to public property had not been repaired. The IMM's petition stated that the defendants had been proven guilty of damaging public property and argued that the acquittals were unlawful. The IMM emphasized that the damage had not yet been repaired, stating, "Therefore, we request that the acquittals of some of the defendants be overturned and their punishments be decided." The IMM's involvement in the Kobani case began with a criminal complaint filed during the AKP era, and the appeal was filed by the current administration with a petition dated August 11, 2024.

The Turkish General Directorate of Criminal Prosecutions also objected to the accrual of Sirri Süreyya Önder.

The General Directorate of Security (EGM) also appealed to the court of appeal, demanding that the acquittal of Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who passed away in recent months, be overturned and that he be punished on all charges.

It was learned that the MHP, despite being involved in the case, did not appeal to the court of appeal. HDP lawyers interpreted this as the MHP's desire to overturn the case in favor of the defendants.

TANRIKULU: A ROUTINE PROCESS

CHP Istanbul Deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu stated that it was wrong to consider the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality's objection to the acquittals in the Kobani case as a political stance. Tanrıkulu stated that the lawyers were carrying out a routine procedure on behalf of the institution, saying, "It would be extremely wrong and unfair to conclude that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality cleared this case as a political stance." Recalling that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality was under AKP control during the Kobani incidents, Tanrıkulu stated, "It was the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, under the leadership of the Justice and Development Party, that intervened in this case filed in Ankara."

Tanrıkulu emphasized that a verdict was reached at the end of the case and that the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), which intervened at the time, had been found to have suffered damages from the crime. He said, “Lawyers are obligated to appeal decisions based on institutional procedures. This could be a civil or criminal case. This is the institutional routine.” Tanrıkulu reiterated that, for this reason, it is inaccurate to portray the IMM's objection as a political decision.