NİSÊBÎN, NORTHERN KURDISTAN
On 26 May 2016, a military curfew was declared in the Nisêbîn district of Mêrdîn by the occupying Turkish state following the armed self-defence and declaration of autonomy by the peoples. While many people were massacred in the basements of Northern Kurdistan by the occupying Turkish state, the peoples were burnt alive with chemical weapons and the corpses of starved babies were preserved in fridges.
70 children were detained during this period, two of them are Bawer Basar and H.B. whose hearings were held today.
While Bawer Başar was seen first, his attorney Osman Çelik was present in the hall. After the identification, the trial was started.
Starting his defence, Başar said, “The Kurdish people are not like before. They will not submit to colonialist policies.” Stating that resistance and war are not the same concept, Basar said that war is the invention of states and resistance is the right of people to use self-defense.
Basar who made evaluations on self-defense, stated that “the self-defense system is the basis of a democratic society.” Noting that the Kurdish people will not extend their neck like sacrificial sheep, Basar said that the Kurdish people will be the winning party as a result of the struggle.
Stating that the Civil Defense Units (YPS) is not a criminal organization as stated in the indictment and the press, Basar expressed “it is an organization organized against crime.” Basar explained that their aim was to establish a democratic society and to account for the crimes committed against the people.
“Self-defense was developed against the attacks launched against the Kurdish people by warplanes. No one can claim that there were barricades in the streets until 24 June. These barricades and ditches were established on the basis of self-defense against attacks launched. Anyone who thinks a little will understand that the purpose of these ditches and barricades is defense. This is similar to Prophet Muhammed’s defense during the War of Trench. When studied, these same defense units are classed as civilian formations ”.
Basar, commenting on the criminalisation of the YPS answered, “If the defense of the people is terrorism, if the War of Independence today is a terrorist activity, the Kuvva-ı Milliye is also a terrorist organization.
Today, the cities that were given the title of ‘Veteran’, ‘Heroic’ and ‘Noble’ in Kurdistan were called terrorists. The peoples that defend this defense are insurgents. Their defense is also legitimate.”
Drrawing attention to the defense of the Cizre People’s Assembly Co-chair Mehmet Tunç, Basar stated “We resisted, we did not kneel, be proud of us,” and ended his defence by saying “Long live the PKK, Long live the President Apo.”
Attorney Osman Çelik, stated that his client Basar was tortured while being detained.
Basar was sentenced to “Aggravated Life” and 19 years in prison.
Following, the defense of H.B. was heard. H.B. was previously sentenced to an “Aggravated Life Sentence” in Mardin 2nd High Criminal Court, where he was tried in another file, and was sentenced to 11 years in his current case.
