oki
03-06-2007, 06:50 PM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6425043.stm
A Kurdish politician in Turkey has been sentenced to six months in prison for referring to jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan as "Mr Ocalan".
A court in Diyarbakir said the use of "Mr" by Ahmet Turk implied respect for Ocalan, seen as a criminal in Turkey.
Ahmet Turk leads a pro-Kurdish party. He is reportedly considering an appeal.
Ocalan is serving a life sentence after he was found guilty of treason for leading the Kurdish armed campaign in which more than 30,000 people died.
Ahmet Turk was sentenced by the court in south-eastern Turkey on a charge of supporting a criminal in a speech he made in January 2006.
It was the second conviction for the leader of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) in seven days.
Last week, Ahmet Turk - alongside with a DTP deputy leader - was sentenced to 18 months in prison for distributing party materials in the Kurdish language.
Turkish law allows distribution of political literature only in Turkish.
A Kurdish politician in Turkey has been sentenced to six months in prison for referring to jailed Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan as "Mr Ocalan".
A court in Diyarbakir said the use of "Mr" by Ahmet Turk implied respect for Ocalan, seen as a criminal in Turkey.
Ahmet Turk leads a pro-Kurdish party. He is reportedly considering an appeal.
Ocalan is serving a life sentence after he was found guilty of treason for leading the Kurdish armed campaign in which more than 30,000 people died.
Ahmet Turk was sentenced by the court in south-eastern Turkey on a charge of supporting a criminal in a speech he made in January 2006.
It was the second conviction for the leader of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) in seven days.
Last week, Ahmet Turk - alongside with a DTP deputy leader - was sentenced to 18 months in prison for distributing party materials in the Kurdish language.
Turkish law allows distribution of political literature only in Turkish.