Turkey: Lawyer detained after calling for investigation into chemical warfare allegations

A lawyer was detained in Turkey on Thursday over her remarks on allegations about the Turkish military's use of chemical weapons in the Kurdistan Region of ıraq (KRI).

"A member of our association, lawyer Aryen Turan, has been detained after she was targeted by racist and fascist groups in the past weeks," the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (OHD) said on Twitter.

Turan had said in her speech at the congress of Izmir Bar Association on 22 October that allegations about chemical warfare should be investigated.

She had also commemorated Deniz Poyraz, a Kurdish woman who was killed by an armed assailant who stormed the Izmir offices of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on 17 June 2021, and young Kurdish woman Mahsa (Zhina) Amini, who died on 16 September in police custody in Iran, and chanted the slogan "Woman, Life, Freedom" in Kurdish ("Jin, Jiyan, Azadi") before she ended her speech.

While a group of lawyers at the congress protested Turan chanting "We are the soldiers of Mustafa Kemal,” a criminal investigation was launched by the prosecutor's office in Izmir over her remarks.

She was also targeted in a lynching campaign by the government media in the following days.

AHaber had said: "Alleged lawyer Aryen Turan slanders the Turkish Armed Forces, expresses support for the terror organization PKK in the congress of Izmir Bas Association!"

Yeni Akit said: "That insolent is now finished! Throw her in jail!"

Takvim said:

"Dirty provocation in the congress of Izmir Bar Association! Terror supporting lawyer targeted the Turkish Armed Forces, acted like PKK spokesperson."