Diyarbakir Prosecutor’s Office accused 12 university students of “spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization” and “committing crimes in the name of a terrorist organization” during a march to celebrate Kurdish new year (Newroz).

One of the students, identified in the article as Suat Mustafa Ş., has been accused of “making terrorist propaganda” for whistling a Kurdish song.

“As I was passing the scene of the incident, a person wearing civilian clothes approached me, told me he was from the police, took me by the arm and told me to come with him. I asked to see identification but wasn’t shown any,” Suat Mustafa said.

“Then four or five police officers came to take me away. I wasn’t whistling any (PKK) song provocatively in any police officers' faces. I was whistling a song by a Kurdish artist.”