Peace process advances as Kurdish prisoners are released

By Nigel Wentworth for SES Türkiye in Diyarbakir — 28/04/14 – The peace process between the government and Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is making steady progress despite criticism, with dozens of political prisoners being released after spending years in pre-trial detention.

Earlier this month, 48 prisoners held in connection with the Diyarbakir Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) lawsuit were freed. That followed the release of 14 accused in the Sirnak KCK case, including former Sirnak Mayor Ramazan Uysal. Dozens of others have also been released in Istanbul, including eight journalists in the KCK press case and lawyers representing jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.
The releases came after legislation abolished the specially authorised courts and the limit on pre-trial detention was reduced to five years. Many of the freed KCK suspects had been in jail since April 2009.
Upon release, the suspects have sought freedom for their colleagues who are still in jail, plus improvements to Ocalan’s conditions of confinement and deepening of talks between the government and PKK. Despite on-going recrimination, the releases have been seen as a sign that the peace process is moving forward. Mehmet Atis, whose son Ahmet Atis was released after years in prison, told SES Türkiye the peace process must continue. “We suffered every day that my son was in prison. He didn’t do anything illegal. He always wanted unity and peace. That’s why he was punished,” Atis said. “When we would visit him, we saw thousands of others like him. All of them spoke of unity, equality, and peace. I saw ill prisoners. Why should an ill person who wants peace be imprisoned? I believe peace will come and all of these people will be released.”
The KCK arrest operations swept up scores of Kurdish political leaders, including mayors, city council members, former parliamentarians, and human rights defenders. Activists say thousands were detained or arrested. Release of the prisoners has been a core Kurdish demand during the peace process.
But some former prisoners were reluctant to celebrate.
“I don’t think our releases have anything to do with the solution process,” said Ahmet Zirek, former general secretary of Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality and a suspect in the KCK Diyarbakir case. “I was arrested for the municipal work I did when I was general secretary. I was accused of membership in an organisation. If I was convicted, I would have been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison. But I spent five years in pre-trial detention. What does any of this have to do with a solution?”
Ill prisoners and those serving life sentences must also be released for the process to advance, Zirek also said. “If these friends aren’t released, there can be no talk of a solution,” Zirek told SES Türkiye. “They’re ready to risk everything to bring peace, even their bodies. They’re definitely not pessimistic. There’s hope, but this can’t be settled with unilateral steps by the KCK. The steps need to be mutual.”
The remaining prisoners’ fate has been the subject of much debate. With the abolition of the specially authorised courts — the successor to the infamous state security courts — rights defenders are questioning the legitimacy of old verdicts in political cases. As the peace process advances, many say that all cases, including Ocalan’s, must be reviewed.
During a recent trip to Diyarbakir, Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc said the government is expecting further releases as a result of the law reducing the pre-trial detention period to five years.
“In light of the general rule, you need to consider release of suspects who have served five years, regardless of the crime they committed. Otherwise, if you say this and that case are exceptional, you end up with a special rule for certain people. They asked in parliament and we have said everywhere, if there are detained suspects in the so-called KCK case, they also must definitely be released, and they will be,” Arinc said, according to media reports.
Activist Salih Sagis was sentenced to 18 years in jail as part of a KCK case before being released upon a decision from an upper appeals court. He told SES Türkiye continued imprisonment of “thousands” of Kurdish political figures undermines democratic politics. “We were unfairly and unjustly imprisoned, and spent far more time in prison than was called for,” Sagis said. Sagis added that when viewed in the long term, the releases are reason to be hopeful. “It’s definitely positive, but can’t really be assessed as a serious step toward a solution. Most of our friends have been in jail for longer than their punishments would require,” he said, adding that imprisoned activists and ill prisoners must be released for the sake of peace. http://turkey.setimes.com/en_GB/articles/ses/articles/features/departments/national/2014/04/28/feature-01