Shkoi Kurdistan-
All perpetrators involved with the murder of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) member Deniz Poyraz will be “dealt with accordingly”, the co-chair of the party said in a statement on Wednesday morning ahead of the first court hearing of her killer later that day.
On June 17, 2021, Poyraz, a 38-year old member of the HDP was killed in Turkey’s Aegean city of Izmir when a gunman entered the party’s office and shot her dead.
Droves of people congregated at the Izmir courthouse to attend the first trial of HDP member Poyraz’s murder. The trial was expected to take place at 10:00 (Turkey time), but was delayed for two hours and moved to the 13th Heavy Penal Court conference hall due to an unexpectedly large turnout of attendees.
Poyraz’s mother, Fehime Poyraz, has been supported by various lawmakers, civil representatives, and women organizations during the process.
“They did not leave me alone,” media outlet ANF reported her as saying on Wednesday, as she referred to the women who have offered support, standing alongside her as she coped with the tragedy that met her daughter.
“This case is not only my personal cause, but the cause of all Kurdish people and those who support them… We know the murderer Onur Gencer is not alone. There are people who support him, and they are more influential than the murderer. Not only the murderer, but also those who helped him should be punished,” she said.
HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan, seemingly deeply affected by the killing that took place in the party’s office, noted that the perpetrator fired the bullet at peace and democracy.
“Today, the first hearing of the trial on the murder of our friend Deniz Poyraz will be held,” she said, describing the brutal murder “in the attack on our İzmir Provincial Organization on 17 June.”
“A killer will be tried here today, but the powers behind this killer, those who gave orders to this killer, those who directed him to pull the trigger, have not been named or questioned,” she added. “The bullet shot against Deniz is a bullet shot to the hope of those who want to live together in this country. The bullet fired at Deniz is also the bullet fired at the hopes of peace and democracy.”
“Millions in Turkey protested the murder of Deniz,” said an upset Buldan, addressing the murderer as well as those who backed him.
Buldan blamed the government for the attack, saying that they had opened the doors to hatred. She also addressed the Turkish government’s crackdown on HDP and its supporters as a primary reason for Deniz’s death.
“As long as the killers of the Roboski massacre are not brought to account, the killers of Ankara Train Station and Suruc are not brought to account, and the forces behind Deniz’s killers are not named… killings and attacks will continue in this country,” Buldan added.
Buldan concluded her statement promising justice and thanking Deniz’s family, friends, HDP, and the Kurdish people. The party’s co-chair promised that the perpetrators of the attack will be dealt with accordingly.
According to ANF, the murderer, Onur Gencer, turned to Poyraz’s family and laughed as he exited the courtroom. Furious commotion followed.
More than 300 attorneys for the Poyraz family attended the hearing, joined by Poyraz’s mother Fehime, her father Abdulilah, Buldan, party executives, and MPs from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TIP).
