Following the KCK Press Trial, the main KCK Istanbul case, with 205 defendants, including Prof. Dr. Büşra Ersanlı and writer Ragıp Zarakolu, may now also go to the Turkish Constitutional Court. The prosecutor has asked for the file to be sent to the Constitutional Court following a request by lawyers. The Istanbul Court will announce whether it will accept this request on 3 December.

At a court hearing in the Istanbul no. 3 Serious Criminal Court today defence counsel Ercan Kanar recalled that an article of Law no. 6526 that came into force on 6 March 2014 had abolished criminal courts that dealt with article 10 of the Anti-Terror Law, adding that this article was in violation of the Constitution, calling for the case file to be sent to the Constitutional Court.

Other lawyers demanded the immediate acquittal of all the defendants, or for a new investigation to be initiated.

Prosecutor Taner Tabel said this was a serious matter and asked the court to consider the request for a referral to the Constitutional Court.

The Court adjourned until 3 December at 10.00, when it is expected to make a ruling on the application.