The second hearing of the Kobanê Trial, in which 108 people stand trial, 28 of whom are jailed pending trial including Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) executives, is continuing on the second day at the Sincan Prison Campus, Ankara. Experts from the European Union (EU) Turkey Delegation as well as diplomatic representatives of EU member states are following the hearing.

POLITICIANS ATTEND THE HEARING

Hundreds of lawyers are attending the trial to defend politicians. HDP co-chair Mithat Sancar, Democratic Society Congress (DTK) co-chair Berdan Öztürk and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) co-chairs Saliha Aydeniz and Keskin Bayındır are also monitoring the hearing. Many HDP deputies and provincial and district administrators and representatives of women's organizations are present.

Before the hearing began, lawyers and journalists were kept waiting outside the court room on the grounds that the police were searching "bomb" in the court room. Later, they were allowed to enter the court room.

HDP former co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş did not attend the hearing on the grounds that he would prepare for the hearing to be held in May. The other former co-chair, Figen Yüksekdağ, Imralı Delegation spokesperson Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Gültan Kışanak and Zeynep Ölbeci, who are in prison, attended the hearing with the Audio-Visual Information System (SEGBİS).

Former co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Sebahat Tuncel, former KJA spokesperson and deputy Ayla Akat Ata, Emine Beyza Üstün, Pervin Oduncu, Ayşe Bağcı, Sibel Akdeniz, Bircan Yorulmaz, Berfin Özgü Köse are also present in the courtroom.

DEFENSES STARTED

Ayla Akat Ata said that Neslihan Çoban, her colleague from the Rosa Women's Association, lost her son during the Kobanê protests.

“In 2012, we struggled in the parliament for the legal status of the" Right to Defense in Mother Tongue". Arrangements were made based on the Lausanne Treaty. I wanted to defend myself in the Zazaki dialect of Kurdish, but we did not receive education in the mother tongue due to the assimilation policies. Since I cannot defend myself in Zaza language, which is my mother tongue, I start my defense by apologizing to every member of our people," she added.

The hearing continues.