Arrest of mayor for his "greetings, Imrali" words spark protests in Sirnak
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Nisan 05, 2007 10:35
The Monday arrest of Sirnak Mayor Aydin Budak on the grounds that he carried out propagands for the PKK terror group by saying "greetings, Imrali" during Nevruz festivities in his city has led to a rapid increase in tension in Sirnak.
The reference to Imrali by Mayor Budak was a clear reference to Imrali Island, where former PKK head Abdullah Ocalan is currently serving a life sentence. With thousands gathering in Sirnak to protest Budak's arrest in the days following, yesterday saw a delegation of top-ranked Kurdish officials, including Diyarbakir Mayor Osman Baydemir, DTP Party deputy head Osman Ozcelik, and former DEP MPs Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak arriving in Sirnak to join in the protests.