Slogans praising PKK leader 'freedom of expression,' Turkey's top court rules

Hacı Bişkin - Duvar

Turkey's Constitutional Court has ruled that chanting slogans in support of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan can't be accepted as a crime if they're not calling for violence, adding that they are instead within the boundaries of freedom of expression.

The court's ruling echoes a previous European Court of Human Rights decision on a similar case involving the PKK - a group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey.

Meki Katar was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison on terrorism charges for chanting slogans in support of Öcalan in a ceremony organized by students in the eastern province of Malatya in 2013.

"Our leader is Apo," the students chanted, using an abbreviation of Öcalan's name, during a ceremony held to commemorate 34 people killed in the Roboski massacre, which took place when the Turkish army carried out airstrikes in the Roboski district of the southeastern province of Şırnak in 2011.

"Killer state will be held accountable," the students also chanted.

After he was handed over a year in prison, Katar took the case to the Constitutional Court.

The court said that singing an anthem and chanting slogans are not sufficient for sentencing him over "making propaganda of a terrorist organization," as it also ruled unanimously that his freedom of expression was violated.

"Expressing, suggesting or advising thoughts criticizing the way a country is ruled are under the protection of freedom of expression even if they are disturbing for state officials or a significant portion of the society," the court said, adding that the most significant criteria in these cases is whether the individual encourages violence or not.

The court also ruled for compensation to be paid to Katar.