Kurdish footballer faces prison sentence for ‘terror’ statements

TORONTO, Canada (Kurdistan24) – A Kurdish footballer in Turkey faces a potential five-year prison sentence for comments he shared on his social media accounts.

Denis Naki, a striker for Turkish First Division team Amedspor, was charged on Thursday by a Turkish court for “terrorist propaganda.”

Naki posted about the conflict in the southeastern Kurdish cities of Turkey between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish government.

On Sep. 4, 2015, the footballer shared a post on his official Facebook page following the death of two PKK members in Dersim where Naki is from.

“A thousand greetings to the heroes of Dersim,” Naki wrote on his page.

Moreover, on Jan. 4, 2016, the Amedspor player posted a photo of a man holding his deceased child referencing the military curfew in Cizre.

“Think of a father whose two children have been shot and [lying] next to him lifelessly; he can’t even bury them because there is a curfew in Cizre,” the post read.

After a 2-1 victory over Bursaspor in the Turkish Cup on Jan. 31, 2016, the Amedspor striker shared a post related to another curfew in the Sur district.

“We dedicate this victory to those who have lost their lives and been injured in the 50 days of oppression we face on our lands. Long live freedom,” Naki wrote.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) banned Naki for 12 matches on Feb. 4, 2016, following his comments after the match.

The Turkish court accused Naki of “creating enmity and hate between two different sections of society.”

Additionally, the footballer’s posts were labelled as “glorifying terror and terrorism” and “presenting security forces as committing massacres against the region’s people.”

Regarding the posts in question, Naki confirmed he had published them to his social media accounts stating he wanted “unity and equality for everyone.”

“My aim with these posts was to give message of peace. I’ve always made my thoughts clear,” he stated.

“No one can rejoice at the death of someone else,” Naki continued, “My posts represent my personal viewpoint.”

The footballer’s trial is expected to begin in the coming days.

Editing by Ava Homa