Turkish lawyer faces 7½ years in prison for “PKK propaganda”October 26, 2015 - 18:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A Turkish prosecutor is seeking 7½ years in prison for a prominent lawyer on charges of "making terrorist propaganda," the Associated Press reports. Tahir Elci, the head of the bar association in the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir, was briefly detained last week for saying during a live news program that the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, is not a terrorist organization. His comments came amid renewed fighting between the PKK and Turkey's security forces following the collapse of peace talks. An Istanbul prosecutor's office insisted in an indictment on Monday, October 26, that Elci's comments amounted to terrorist propaganda. A court must approve the indictment before a trial can begin. Turkey and its allies consider the PKK to be a terrorist organization. The group has been fighting for autonomy in southeastern Turkey since 1984. Photo. Reuters Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |