The Mayor of the municipality of Sur (Diyarbakir), Abdullah Demirbaþ was released from prison on Saturday after spending five months in prison and today returned to his work.

Demirbaþ had been arrested, along dozens of other politicians on 24 December 2009 in the context of the operation against Kurdish politicians orchestrated by the Turkish judiciary, less than two weeks after the ban of the DTP (Democratic Society Party) by the Constitutional Court. Abdullah Demirbaþ was released from prison because of his serious health problems. This morning, speaking with journalists, Demirbaþ said: “I was a philosophy teacher before being elected mayor of Sur. The most peculiar thing at the time of the arrest was that the police who handcuffed me was a former student of mine.”

Demirbaþ was welcomed at the Municipality Building by the municipality civil servants who offered him flowers. He accepted the flowers and gave them to the press members whom he thanks for their efforts in achieving his freedom.

Demirbaþ underlined that he got out of jail due to health problems but that he his heart was in pain. Demanding for the freedom of his friends, Demirbaþ said, “Our friends are illegally imprisoned for nearly 13 months. This is something I can’t accept. I want to be reunited with them again”.

Speaking to the press members in his office, Demirbaþ thanked the journalists for their support and work. Returning on his arrest he said: “Before being elected mayor I was a philosophy teacher. The most peculiar thing at the time of the arrest, like I told you, was that the police who handcuffed me was a student of mine. My lawyer also was a student of mine. He came from Mardin to defend me. Two students and a teacher met each other at the same place after many years.”

Translator: Berna Ozgencil