ANKARA - Defending in the Kobanê Political Genocide Trial, Gülser Yıldırım said: "Freedom, peace and democracy are for the peoples. Power acts in line with their interests. Those who say that we came from poverty yesterday are sitting on the peoples’ blood today. They are still reigning, this is not right and justice. This is a sickly mindset. We are fighting for equality, justice and freedom."

 

The second hearing of the Kobanê Political Genocide Trial, in which 108 people, 28 of whom were arrested, including Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, are on trial, continues on the second day with defense.

 

HDP Central Executive Board (MYK) member Günay Kubilay, Zeynep Ölbeci and HDP former MP Gülser Yıldırım made their defenses.

 

‘Constitutional Court warned everyone’

 

Saying that the courts do not only recognize the decisions of the ECtHR in these critical cases but also the decisions of the Constitutional Court, Günay said: "The Constitutional Court warned everyone; it also made this warning to the palace regime. In Article 2 of the Constitution, it was stated that the Republic of Turkey is a state of law. It is not just rhetoric. You are not applying the decision of the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR here. If you do not implement it, you are committing a constitutional crime. Now you may be leaning your back on the solid Mount Ağrı, let me remind you of Zekeriya Öz. Armored vehicle was given to him. The political arena is always slippery. We have carried out a solution process with the Justice and Development Party (AKP) since 2013. Sırrı Süreyya Önder says; "I was with the minister when the Kobanê incidents happened." Where are we now, we are in prison. Political conditions in Turkey have changed."

 

There is no Kurdish interpreter in the hall!

 

Speaking afterwards, the imprisoned politician Gülseren Yıldırım stated that she would make her demands for recusation by speaking in Kurdish. Thereupon, the court board said: "You go on, there is no interpreter, then we will solve it, you talk."

 

‘Not the Kobanê Trial, but the obstruction of Kurdish people’s politics’

 

Stating that she did not want to speak because there was not a translator, Gülseren, referring to the legal assessment of Selahattin Demirtaş on May 18, said: "He expressed the unlawfulness of the court. I agree with them, again, Yüksekdağ made an assessment about whom the court served and why the HDP was blocked. She laid it out politically, philosophically and conscientiously. They say the Kobanê Trial, but we do not accept it. This is the trial of obstructing the politics of the Kurdish people. This cruelty is the mentality of the one-man regime. A mindset based on denial. These problems will continue as long as this mentality continues. Anyone who seeks morality, and conscience and a little truth is condemned. It is not something that started today, it has continued like this throughout 100 years of history. The AKP and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) fascist alliance continues. How can they judge us? Will the spokespersons of the politics of denial judge us? All our rights are trampled. These are neither in religion nor in faith. AKP uses religion, says it is a Muslim. But it does things that have nothing to do with Islam. Massacres have been carried out on the Kurdish people since the beginning of time. Are the Kurdish people not Muslims?"

 

Gülser continued as follows:

 

"I am happy to be on the HDP's ideology and opinion. I thank HDP for making me love an ideology such as human love, nature love and women's rights. Although my dear co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ was Turkish, she became our co-chair. Everyone united under the HDP with their beliefs and everyone lived their beliefs. It is this belief, this ideology, this philosophy that brings us together. This defends the rights of the oppressed peoples all over the world. Aware of the difference between the HDP and the government, whoever deserves what. On June 7, Turkey and the Kurdish people took care of the HDP. It was the unity of peoples that frightened the government. Freedom, peace, and democracy are for the people. The government acts in line with its interests. Those who say that we came from poverty yesterday are sitting on the blood of the peoples today. They are still reigning, this is not right and justice. This is a sickly mindset. We fight for equality, justice, and freedom.

 

I don’t believe this court reflects the truth

 

If we are speaking in front of those who created the power, this is thanks to the HDP idea. They want to take us prisoner by imprisoning us in walls. If they were so devoted to Islam, they would not have done this. Is this the belief, is this Islam? We are conducting an honest policy. We are conducting politics for the peoples of Turkey. We defend democracy against the oppressors, and we will continue to defend it. Give your conscientious account and tell what you are defending against. When I enter this accounting, I see that there is nothing I can feel remorse. We need to protect all opposition factions, who pull out of the hands of the government. We have to keep human things alive. We have to create fraternity between peoples, not war. Women are slaughtered in these lands. Everything happens according to the instructions of some people. Therefore, I do not believe that this court reflects the truth. The hostility of the Kurdish people cannot be seen as democratic. I greet all friends with respect. I do not consider this court fair and do not accept it."

 

Kurdish translator request

 

After Gülser's speech, the lawyers said: "Gülser Yıldırım refused you, but you will decide on a situation that you do not understand and hear the reasons for. For this reason, we have friends who will speak Kurdish in the afternoon, so we want an interpreter to be present."

 

‘The file defending ISIS has been prepared’

 

Zeynep Ölbeci, who was connected to the hearing from the Bakırköy Women's Closed Prison through Sound and Video Information System (SEGBİS), also spoke in Kurdish. Zeynep said: "A file has been prepared defending ISIS. There is nothing suitable for law and humanity. That is why I do not accept this court. My lawyer will explain these in detail. All the evidence was collected from the Fırat News Agency (ANF) and presented here. The delegation's acceptance of this file shows how biased it is. That's why I reject the court board."

The hearing was recessed for an hour.