HDP Amed MP Nursel Aydoğan has criticised the treatment of the YPG as a terrorist organisation, asking Justice Minister Bozdağ the legal basis for calling an organisation fighting ISIS in Rojava a ‘terror organisation’ and using it as the grounds for a criminal prosecution .

HDP Amed MP Nursel Aydoğan has put down a written question asking for a reply from Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ regarding a recent case where a civilian by the name of İsmail Sadık was wounded in Rojava last year and brought to Mardin for treatment. He was arrested in Mardin on 8 November 2013 on the grounds of being a member of the YPG, and, despite the YPG not being on a terror list, was recently sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for ‘membership of an armed terror organisation’.

Aydoğan said: "This first judgment in a Turkish court relating to the YPG, which is not on any list of ‘terrorist organisations’, is a reflection of Turkey’s foreign policy towards Rojava where the YPG is fighting a war for humanity against ISIS.”

'How many people have been prosecuted for links with ISIS?’

She asked Bozdağ the legal basis for calling an organisation known all over the world as the YPG, which is fighting ISIS in Rojava, a ‘terror organisation’ and using it as the grounds for a criminal prosecution.

Aydoğan also asked the following questions:

"Is the conviction of İsmail Sadık at the first hearing without any collection of evidence a reflection of Turkish Foreign Policy towards Rojava? If not, what is the reason for İsmail Sadık being remanded in custody for being a YPG member when the YPG is not on any list of terrorist organisations?

Al Nusra and affiliated terrorist organisations have been removed from Turkey’s lists of terrorist organisations, while ISIS is known to be at the bottom of the list. In this context, how many people have been prosecuted in the last two years for alleged links with ISIS? And how many people have subsequently been remanded in custody? How many people have been convicted of links with ISIS?