The families of four young men killed by a pro-PKK group during charity work in 2014 asked the court to implicate the leaders of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in the case, claiming they paved the way for riots that killed four victims.
Yasin Börü, Ahmet Dakak, Riyat Güneş and Hasan Gökguz were going door to door to collect donations for a charity on Oct. 7, 2014, the second day of nationwide riots perpetrated by supporters of the terrorist group the PKK triggered by "protest" calls by HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ. A mob of a pro-PKK group cornered the four men in a house in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır. They were beaten and stabbed to death before their bodies were thrown out the windows of the apartment flat they took refuge in. Forty-one suspects, including 19 remanded in custody, stand trial for the deaths.
The families of Börü, Dakak, Güneş and Gökguz appealed to the court in the capital Ankara in yesterday's hearing that Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ should be included in the case for provoking the riots as well as Gültan Kışanak, the former mayor of Diyarbakır who also joined the call for "protests" in 2014.
Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ were detained and jailed a few days ago after they refused to testify before a court in a case of HDP politicians accused of propaganda for the terrorist group.
Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey,
it’s region and the world.
You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.