ISTANBUL – The arrest of 11 people following the Newroz celebration was justified on the grounds of carrying a poster of Abdullah Öcalan, wearing yellow, red, and green colors, carrying the Kurdistan Regional Government flag, chanting the slogan “Yek rêz, yek laş, yek can welat 2+2=1 (One line, one body, one soul, one homeland 2+2=1),” wearing traditional clothes, and playing the song “Oremar.”
After the Newroz celebration held in Yenikapı, Istanbul on March 22, house raids were carried out on March 27, and 13 people were detained. Of those brought before the Istanbul Courthouse, 11 people—including 3 children—were arrested on charges of “terrorist organization propaganda.” The detention decisions for Hatice Oynaş, Hülya Güneş, Selim Kaçan, Semanur Güneş, Boran Sarıkaya, Habib Bingöl, Helin Demir, Velid Resho, and minors B.K. (16), A.A. (17), and M.S. (17) included notable justifications.
According to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace decisions obtained, carrying posters of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan, carrying the Kurdistan Regional Government flag, wearing yellow, red, and green bandanas, dancing halay accompanied by songs, chanting the slogan “Yek rêz, yek laş, yek can welat 2+2=1,” wearing traditional clothing, and sharing the song “Oremar” were cited among the reasons for arrest.
Among those arrested, Hatice Oynaş, Hülya Güneş, Selim Kaçan, and Semanur Güneş taking photos with a poster of Abdullah Öcalan was considered “terrorist organization propaganda.”
REASONS FOR ARREST
The court cited the following as grounds for arrest: Habib Bingöl carrying the Kurdistan Regional Government flag; Boran Sarıkaya attending Newroz and his social media posts; Helin Demir wearing traditional clothes, holding a poster of Abdullah Öcalan, sharing footage of herself dancing halay at Newroz with the song “Oremar” on social media, and posting “Yek rêz, yek laş, yek can yek welat 2+2=1.”
In the decision, Helin Demir’s post was interpreted as “aiming to unite Kurds into a single body and forming one state by taking land from the mentioned countries.”
Velid Resho’s arrest was justified by carrying a poster of Abdullah Öcalan and having a yellow, red, and green bandana.
For the children, B.K. (16) carrying a poster of Abdullah Öcalan and a yellow, red, and green scarf, and A.A. (17) and M.S. (17) carrying the Kurdistan Regional Government flag were cited as reasons for arrest.
Those arrested denied the accusation of “terrorist organization propaganda” and pointed to the broader political context, arguing that using Abdullah Öcalan’s poster should not constitute grounds for arrest. They recalled that the PKK had dissolved itself and that Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), had referred to Abdullah Öcalan as a “founding leader,” arguing that the alleged crime was not constituted.
Lawyers emphasized that, according to Court of Cassation precedents, displaying Abdullah Öcalan’s poster or using the colors yellow, red, and green alone does not constitute “terrorist organization propaganda,” noting that such propaganda must include praise of “violence and coercion” to be considered a crime.
Regarding the Kurdistan Regional Government flag, lawyers stated that it is recognized under the Iraqi Constitution as the flag of a regional administration, not an organization. They also noted that it has been used in official protocols during mutual visits between regional and Turkish authorities and that previous court cases regarding the flag resulted in acquittals. The lawyers demanded the release of their clients.
However, the court ruled for the arrest of 13 individuals on charges of “terrorist organization propaganda.”
MA / Omer Ibrahimoglu
