Politics

Activists released in Turkey after being detained for raising Kurdistan flag

Members of the Kurdistan National Youth Jiyan Timurtaş and Şerzan Kiliçaslan were released on Tuesday by the Turkish police.

Wladimir van Wilgenburg 2022/12/21 01:11

Kurdistan National Youth (CNK) members Jiyan Timurtaş and Şerzan Kiliçaslan were released on Tuesday (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

Turkey Turkey North Kurdistan Jiyan Timurtas Kurdistan Flag Day Kurdistan Flag

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Members of the Kurdistan National Youth (CNK) Jiyan Timurtaş and Şerzan Kiliçaslan were released on Tuesday by the Turkish police after they were earlier detained for celebrating Kurdistan Flag Day on December 17.

Also the spokesperson of the Azadi Movement, Metin Pirani, who was detained on December 19 was released on the condition that he doesn’t leave Turkey.

On December 17, members of the CNK tied the Kurdistan flag to balloons and flew it in Sheikh Said Square in Diyarbakir.

Afterwards both CNK spokesperson Jiyan Timurtaş and CNK member Şerzan Kiliçaslan were detained.

Members of Kurdish parties in a joint statement condemned the police raids (Photo: Kurdistan 24).

Kurdish flags and materials were also seized during police raids on numerous Kurdish party headquarters, including the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), Kurdistan Socialist Party (PSK) and Azadi Movement in Diyarbakir. In a joint press statement, these parties condemned the police raids.

“The Kurdistan flag is a national value for all Kurds and Kurdistanis. No power can ban this national value of ours,” the parties said. “We condemn all prohibitions, attacks and disrespectful attitudes towards the flag of Kurdistan by the Turkish state and racist and chauvinist groups.”

The Kurdistan flag is recognized by the Iraqi constitution and is the official flag of the Kurdistan Region, according to the statement.

“The President and ministers of the Republic of Turkey have officially accepted the Kurdistan flag alongside the Turkish flag in their official meetings with officials of the Kurdistan federal region.”

“The police under the Diyarbakir Security Directorate showed the Kurdistan flag as the reason for the search of our organizations. During the search, all Kurdish flags, computers, official documents, files, posters, banners, books and magazines of our organizations were seized and taken to the Diyarbakır Security Directorate.”

In October, Jiyan Timurtas was also detained by Turkish security forces in Diyarbakir “for being a member of an illegal organization” but was later released.