Kurdish academic acquitted by Turkish court following trial over ‘Kurdistan’
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Kurdish academic who celebrated a revolution of Kurds against the Iraqi government in the sixties and used the word “Kurdistan” in social media posts in 2021 was acquitted by a Turkish court on Thursday after being tried for making propaganda for a terrorist organization.
"Congratulations to all Kurds for the [anniversary of] Aylul Revolution. Long live Kurdistan," said Hifzullah Kutum in a tweet on September 14, 2021. The next day, he was the subject of an investigation launched by his employer.
Kutum, who was a research assistant specializing in finance at the state-owned Firat University in Elazig, was punished by his employer and threatened by Turkish nationalists for his posts.
A trial was launched against Kutum, accusing him of making propaganda for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - a claim he has denied.
During his third hearing at Elazig Second High Criminal Court, Kutum defended his posts, saying that they were within the freedom of expression and that Kurdistan does exist in places populated by Kurds such as the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. He also denied any reference to the PKK in his posts.
Following his defence, the court acquitted him of the charge, Kutum told Rudaw English on Friday.
"I did not expect such a decision," he said, adding that the city's public prosecutor will appeal the ruling but it is not clear when a final decision will be made.
The Aylul uprising was led by Mustafa Barzani, founder of Kurdistan Region’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and father of party leader Masoud Barzani. The KDP-dominated Kurdistan Region enjoys good economic relations with Turkey.
Kurds consider Kurdish-populated areas in southeast Turkey, northern Iraq (Kurdistan Region), western Iran and northeast Syria (Rojava) to be part of Greater Kurdistan, which they say was divided up by Western powers a century ago when they established new borders in the Middle East.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the usage of the word “Kurdistan” in September 2013 while he was prime minister, during the early months of a historic but short-lasting peace process between Ankara and the PKK.
Erdogan told journalists that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, had used the word Kurdistan around a century ago.
"Congratulations to all Kurds for the [anniversary of] Aylul Revolution. Long live Kurdistan," said Hifzullah Kutum in a tweet on September 14, 2021. The next day, he was the subject of an investigation launched by his employer.
Kutum, who was a research assistant specializing in finance at the state-owned Firat University in Elazig, was punished by his employer and threatened by Turkish nationalists for his posts.
A trial was launched against Kutum, accusing him of making propaganda for the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - a claim he has denied.
During his third hearing at Elazig Second High Criminal Court, Kutum defended his posts, saying that they were within the freedom of expression and that Kurdistan does exist in places populated by Kurds such as the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. He also denied any reference to the PKK in his posts.
Following his defence, the court acquitted him of the charge, Kutum told Rudaw English on Friday.
"I did not expect such a decision," he said, adding that the city's public prosecutor will appeal the ruling but it is not clear when a final decision will be made.
The Aylul uprising was led by Mustafa Barzani, founder of Kurdistan Region’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and father of party leader Masoud Barzani. The KDP-dominated Kurdistan Region enjoys good economic relations with Turkey.
Kurds consider Kurdish-populated areas in southeast Turkey, northern Iraq (Kurdistan Region), western Iran and northeast Syria (Rojava) to be part of Greater Kurdistan, which they say was divided up by Western powers a century ago when they established new borders in the Middle East.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the usage of the word “Kurdistan” in September 2013 while he was prime minister, during the early months of a historic but short-lasting peace process between Ankara and the PKK.
Erdogan told journalists that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, had used the word Kurdistan around a century ago.