Demirtas says Erdogan’s statements are the only evidence in Kobane trial

Imprisoned Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas said that the court is trying to continue this trial as “a plot against Kurdish politicians,” until the elections in 2023 and the only evidence the prosecutors found in the case were the statements of President Tayyip Erdogan.

The eighth session of the 20th hearing of “Kobane trial” was held on Friday in which over 100 figures from the HDP (Peoples Democratic Party) including its co-chairs and members of central executive committee are charged with causing the death of 37 people and wanting to disrupt the "unity and territorial integrity of the state" during the Kobani protests in October 2014. The protests erupted as the HDP demanded support from the Turkish Government against the Islamic State (ISIS) laying a siege against Kobane.

“Erdogan has activated his army of media. Thousands of articles have been written about us, millions of tweets posted, thousands of TV shows broadcast, to spread propaganda that we made a call and massacred the people of our base. They know it's a lie,” Demirtas said.

Demirtas said the party members were arrested because President Erdogan and ultranationalist leader Devlet Bahceli wanted to govern single-handedly.

Demirtas also said that the “HDP is apparently to be closed, Treasury's financial support to the party will be blocked. But HDP's ideas and struggle will re-emerge with this election.”