Criminal Complaint Against Minister Soylu For ‘Inciting Public to Enmity and Hatred’

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A criminal complaint has been filed against the Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu on charges of "inciting the public to enmity and hatred, misconduct in office, fabricating crimes, slandering and attempting to influence fair trial" due to his remarks about the non-governmental organizations and professional chambers in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

The criminal complaint has been filed through two separate petitions submitted to the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor's Office by the Human Rights Association (İHD) Diyarbakır Branch and Diyarbakır Representative to the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) and by the Diyarbakır Representative to the Rights Initiative and Diyarbakır Medical Chamber.

What did Soylu say?

While making evaluations about the incidents that occurred in Suruç on a TV program of state channel TRT Haber on June 18, 2018, Soylu said:

"I should mention that unbelievably cowardly allegations are being made against us which proves that Diyarbakır Bar Association and Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce and Industry are sympathizers of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party). Directly and honestly, I declare that it is a supporter of PKK. If PKK does not express an opinion against our all actions, incidents and acts of law it is Diyarbakır Bar which passes a remark". (AS/SD)