Turkish prosecutors probe HDP co-chair over remarks at Deniz Poyraz murder trial

Duvar English

The İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Pervin Buldan over her remarks at the trial of the murder of HDP worker Deniz Poyraz.

During the first hearing of the case on Dec. 29, the presiding judge of the İzmir 6th Heavy Penal Court asked the assailant Onur Gencer about his education.

HDP co-chair Buldan criticized the judge's address to the assailant, telling him: “He has been trained in [Syria's] Manbij...You cannot ask [questions to him] in such a calm way; you cannot be calm while you are asking about his identity information. This man received training from ISIS. He is a killer.”

The prosecutor's office claimed that Buldan's remarks constituted as an “insult against the court board.” “An investigation has been launched against HDP Istanbul MP Pervin Buldan over her remarks and behavior consisting of insult against the court board during the hearing of the trial on Dec. 29, 2021 at the İzmir Heavy Penal Court,” the prosecutor's office said in its statement.

The first hearing into Poyraz's murder took place on Dec. 29, with prosecutors seeking an aggravated life sentence for Gencer. The next hearing of the case will take place on Jan. 24, 2022.

Poyraz, a 20-year-old HDP member, had been covering a shift for her mother at the office when Gencer attacked the party's headquarters in İzmir and killed her on June 17.

The HDP blames the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) for the attack, citing the years-long crackdown on the party.

Prior to the first hearing of the case, a press meeting was held in front of the İzmir courthouse, with the attendance of several lawmakers and NGO representatives 

The press statement, which was read out by Buldan, called on authorities to enlighten the "powers" who "instructed the killer to undertake the murder." 

"A hearing will take place today here. A murderer will stand trial today here, but those who gave orders this killer have not been yet exposed. They have not been questioned. They have planned a big chaos while massacring Deniz that day," Buldan said.