DİYARBAKIR - The anonymous witness of the police called 'Patience' who claimed that Kemal Kurkut who was murdered by the police in the Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır was 'a member of a terrorist organization' and the journalists who photographed the police firing at him 'acted on the instructions he got from the PKK' to bend the truth.

 

The second hearing of the lawsuit filed against journalist Abdurrahman Gök, who photographed the murder of university student Kemal Kurkut by the police during the 2017 Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır, will be held tomorrow. At the hearing, which will be held at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court, a 20-year prison sentence is sought for Gök on the grounds of his interviews with news sources, his posts on social media accounts and statements of secret witnesses.

 

WITNESS ACCUSED BOTH GÖK AND KURKUT  

 

The testimony of the anonymous witness, codenamed "Patience", is added to the file just before tomorrow's hearing. The anonymous witness, who testified at the Antep 7th High Criminal Court, claimed that he had known Gök from "organizational work and education processes" since 2013. The anonymous witness, who claimed that Gök was involved in some "organizational activities" in Diyarbakır in 2016 and 2017, also claimed Kemal Kurkut was a "member of a terrorist organization".

 

The anonymous witness said: "The journalist who took the photograph of Kurkut, who had a knife in his hand and who is known to be a member of a terrorist organization, is also a member of a terrorist organization. He was instructed by the PKK to take that photo to bend the truth. He graduated from the faculty of communications. He is ideologically linked with the organization. This person is also an expert in establishing conspiracy theories. He falsifies the truth about the struggle of the Turkish Armed Forces with the PKK and creates the perception that Turkey oppresses the Kurdish people both inside and outside the country. I know these because I know that person."

 

REQUESTS OF THE ATTORNEYS REJECTED

 

Evaluating the allegations of the anonymous witness, Gök's attorney Resul Tamur underlined that the journalists arrested on October 2018 were also arrested as a result of the same anonymous witness. Underlining that most of these journalists were released as a result of the trials against them, Temur told that the statements of secret witnesses are out of control and cannot be confirmed by the defense. Tamur demanded that the statements of the anonymous witness to be opened for inspection and taken into the file but this request was rejected by the court. Tamur said: "We want this witness to be questioned in our presence and to be able to ask questions to him. This request was also rejected."

 

ATTEMPT TO LEGITIMIZE MURDER

 

Stressing that the effort of the court to criminalize Gök who shed a light on the murder of Kurkut with his photograph is not a coincidence, Tamur said that the court is trying to make Gök pay the price for revealing the facts and legitimize the murder. Tamur reminded that Diyarbakır Governorate also claimed that Kurkut was a 'member of a terrorist organization' to cover up the murder, Tamur said: "Abdurrahman Gök shed a light on the murder of Kemal Kurkut. If he hadn't taken that photo, Kemal Kurkut would be declared a terrorist from day one. When the lies of the governor's office failed to do the job, they found an anonymous witness. They are trying to make people remember Kurkut as a terrorist."