With the European Commission continuing to require that Turkey narrow its legal definition of terrorism in order to secure visa-free travel for its citizens as part of a wide-ranging deal to secure Ankara's help in reducing the flow of migrants to Europe, former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Deputy Sebahat Tuncel has been acquitted in a case accusing her of spreading propaganda for the PKK terrorist organization in 2009 and 2010. Although the former HDP deputy had previously displayed support for the PKK by standing alongside terrorists in 2012, the court verdict revealed that "supporting crime and criminals" is not defined as a crime by law.
In early November 2015, the former HDP deputy was detained at Istanbul's Atatürk International Airport for alleged terrorist propaganda. She was on her way to Brussels when she was taken into custody by a team of airport police and anti-terrorism officers before being referred to the Bakirköy Courthouse. She was accused of making laudatory remarks for the PKK during the HDP election campaign in 2008 and 2009 in different Istanbul districts. She had earlier been sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison for being a member of a terrorist organization by the Istanbul High Criminal Court in September 2012.
However, the court verdict yesterday found Tuncel not guilty and she was acquitted of the charges of making terrorist propaganda during the opening speech at the Democratic Society Party's (DTP) Pendik office where she made remarks supporting the PKK. Commenting on the accusations, Tuncel claimed that "only a small part of my speech was reflected in the indictment. In the full text there were solutions, methods and hopes to address the Kurdish issue. My speech did not include any violence."
Ankara has expressed its determined stance against the PKK, vowing to continue operations until all terrorist threats are eliminated.
However, as the military and police continue their determined counterterrorism operations. The European Commission also requires Turkey narrow its anti-terror laws for its citizens to be granted visa-free travel to the EU's Schengen zone. EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkır stressed that there will be no changes to the laws. "It is not possible for us to accept any changes to the counterterrorism law," Bozkır said. Additionally, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ also said: "We invite our counterparts to be sincere [regarding finalizing visa liberalization]. When looking at the requirements proposed by the EU for other countries, it does not include the articles that are being insisted for Turkey to fulfill. We do not want to deceive anyone as we do not want to be deceived by anyone."
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