The Democratic Kurdish Council in France (CDK-F) said that Serhat Gültekin was bound and gagged on a plane to Istanbul on Friday afternoon. "Kurdish activist Serhat Gültekin, who was taken to a deportation prison on Thursday morning, was literally kidnapped on Friday to be deported to Turkey. He was deprived of his most basic rights. The French authorities trampled on the right to defense by not allowing his lawyers to defend him."

Serhat Gültekin was due to appear today before a judge who, said the CDK-F, "would rule on the legality of his detention. Sending Kurdish activists to Turkey before the judiciary has made a decision is a complete denial of law and justice and amounts to complicity with Erdoğan's dictatorship. It is a disgrace for France, for its values and its history."

France’s new strategy against the Kurdish movement

The statement continued: "The 28-year-old man, who suffers from Marfan syndrome and is seriously ill, was handcuffed, bound and gagged before being forcibly taken onto a plane bound for Istanbul this afternoon. An act of incredible violence that surpasses even Turkey's brutal methods. The Turkish authorities are currently rejoicing and eagerly waiting to arrest the young man on the tarmac of Istanbul Airport. In less than two weeks, France deported three Kurdish activists to Turkey despite knowing that their lives and safety were at risk in Turkey.

We note that this is a new strategy by France towards the Kurdish movement, and we will respond to this accordingly. We call on all our friends, all supporters of law and justice, to condemn this unjust attitude of France. We call on them to show solidarity to prevent further deportations."