Turkey: 5 DBP members convicted of terror charges

By Rauf Maltas

SANLIURFA, Turkey

A Turkish court on Friday sentenced five members of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) to prison terms on terrorism charges.

The 6th High Criminal Court in southeastern Sanliurfa province sentenced Celal Babacan, the provincial head of the DBP, to two years and six months for spreading terrorist propaganda.

The DBP’s Siverek district chief, Sedat Celik, was also convicted and received a 10-month sentence for the same charges.

DBP members Ibrahim Dodanli, Servet Kaplan and Mahmut Yasar were each sentenced to one year and 10 months.

The DBP is the regional-level sister party of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Turkey’s government accuses the HDP of being linked to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.

The PKK has killed thousands of civilians and security personnel since 1984, including over 1,200 in the last two years alone.