Life sentences sought for two Kobani protesters


A public prosecutor's office is looking to hand two suspects aggravated life sentences and 225 years in jail for engaging in vandalistic acts during the protests that were staged in support of Kobani, a Syrian town besieged by the self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), which claimed dozens of lives.Nihat T., 18, and Yusuf Ö., 22, have had a lawsuit filed against them after an indictment following the Kobani protests, which took place between Oct. 4 and Oct. 7, was completed by the Bakırköy Public Prosecutor's Office. The indictment revealed details about the protests that were mainly confined to the southeast of Turkey and but also extended to other provinces across the country, including Istanbul. The Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul saw heated protests, sparked by pro-PKK Kurds asking for more support from the government to help their fellow Kurds fighting to break the siege against ISIS.The protests rapidly grew into clashes between pro- and anti-PKK groups that not only resulted in vandalism and aggression, stemming from the tension between the factions, but also led to the killing of dozens.The protests were deemed a serious threat to the ongoing reconciliation process, pursued by the government and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), after the HDP's leader, Selahattin Demirtaş, called for the supporters to pour onto the streets.Meanwhile, prosecutors launched an investigation into the incident and prepared an indictment regarding the protests. A lawsuit with 62 plaintiffs was filed against the suspects for damaging a bank, vehicles and bus stops.Allocating details of the protests that intensified in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul, the Bakırköy public prosecutor's office submitted an indictment to the court seeking an aggravated life sentence and 225 years in prison for Yusuf Ö. and Nihat T. on several charges.The suspects face an aggravated life sentence for attempting to annul the unity of the state, two years in prison for intentionally putting security in jeopardy, 10 years for being a member of a terrorist organization, 202 years for damaging properties (of 62 plaintiffs) and refusal to disperse despite warnings, and five years for carrying out terrorist propaganda.