Court of Cassation terminates HKP leader Ankut's chairmanship
The Court of Cassation has announced that the party membership and chairmanship of Nurullah Efe Ankut, leader of the People's Liberation Party (HKP), have been terminated following the finalization of his prison sentence for "insulting the President."
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Nurullah Efe Ankut, leader of the People's Liberation Party (HKP), was sentenced to 1 year, 5 months, and 15 days in prison in a trial where he was charged with "insulting the President." The Court of Cassation announced that with the finalization of this sentence, Ankut's status as a founding member, member, and chairman of the party has been terminated. This decision was conveyed to the HKP Headquarters by the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation.
In 2014, the HKP had applied to the International Criminal Court regarding government officials of the time in relation to the MİT trucks incident. Following this application, Efe was tried and sentenced on the grounds that he had insulted the then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The Court of Cassation upheld the sentence, evaluating the case within the scope of "insulting the President."
REACTION FROM HKP TO THE COURT OF CASSATION'S DECISION
The HKP reacted sharply to this decision by the Court of Cassation. The party argued that the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation had exceeded its authority and interfered in the party's internal affairs. In a statement, it was said, "The Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation does not have the authority to issue orders to our party. This decision is political, not legal in nature."
The party also stated that this decision by the Court of Cassation was null and void, adding, "The sentences given to our chairman and Central Executive Committee member do not fall within the scope of crimes envisioned by the Law on Political Parties."
LEGAL PROCESS AND FUTURE PLANS
The HKP stated that they had faced similar obstacles in the past and had overcome them through legal struggles. The party declared, "We will continue our struggle for the independence of our homeland and the happiness of our people."
Nurullah Efe had previously been tried on similar charges and had received a total of 14 years, 7 months, and 5 days in prison. These sentences are still being evaluated at the appellate stage. In other ongoing cases against Efe, a total of 51 years and 4 months of imprisonment are being requested.