Berdan Öztürk
{{Short description|Turkish politician (born 1980)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Berdan Öztürk
| image = Berdan Öztürk (cropped).jpg
| honorific-suffix = MP
| imagesize = 220 px
| office = {{GNAT MP}}
| term_start = 7 June 2015
| constituency = Ağrı (June 2015, Nov 2015, 2018)
Diyarbakır (2023)
| birth_date = 1 May 1980
| occupation = Politician
| profession =
| nationality = {{flagicon|Turkey}} Turkish
| alma_mater = Marmara University
| party = Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party)
{{small|(2023-present)}}
| otherparty = Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)
{{small|(2015-2023)}}
| spouse =
| website =
| office2 = Co-Chair of the Democratic Society Congress
| termstart2 = September 2017
| alongside2 = Leyla Güven
}}
Berdan Öztürk (born 1 May 1980 in Tutak) is a Turkish politician of Kurdish descent who is from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), who has served as a Member of Parliament for the electoral district of Ağrı since 7 June 2015.
Early life and career
Öztürk graduated from Marmara University Faculty of Law. After a year in legal work experience, he pursued a master's degree in the University of London, specialising in International Arbitration and Commercial Law. He is a freelance lawyer since 2011 and is currently pursuing a Doctorate.{{cite web|url=http://www.haberler.com/berdan-ozturk/biyografisi/|title=Biyografi|publisher=Haberler.com|accessdate=27 July 2015}}
Political career
In the June 2015 general election, Öztürk was elected as a Member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey representing the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) for Ağrı.{{Cite web|title=AĞRI SEÇİM SONUÇLARI - 1 KASIM 2015 GENEL SEÇİM SONUÇLARI|url=https://secim.haberler.com/2015/agri-secim-sonuclari/|access-date=2021-04-04|website=secim.haberler.com}} He was re-elected in the snap elections of November 2015 general elections,{{Cite web|url=https://www.yenisafak.com/secim-2018/agri-ili-secim-sonuclari|title=Ağrı Seçim Sonuçları - Genel Seçim 2018 Ağrı Sonucu|date=2019-05-11|website=Yeni Şafak|language=tr-TR|access-date=2019-11-05}} and the 2018 parliamentary elections.{{Cite web|url=https://www.yenisafak.com/secim-2018/agri-ili-secim-sonuclari|title=Ağrı Seçim Sonuçları - Genel Seçim 2018 Ağrı Sonucu|date=2019-05-11|website=Yeni Şafak|language=tr-TR|access-date=2019-11-05}} During the 8th congress of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) on the 16 September 2017, he and Leyla Güven were elected its Co-Chairs.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kcd-dtk.org/english-2/|title=English – DEMOKRATİK TOPLUM KONGRESİ|language=tr|access-date=2020-04-02|archive-date=2021-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624205308/https://www.kcd-dtk.org/english-2/|url-status=dead}}
Prosecution
In 2016 an investigation was launched against Öztürk for participating in a funeral of five militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). He was acquitted in May 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://stockholmcf.org/turkish-court-gives-pro-kurdish-hdps-tasdemir-suspended-sentence-for-terror-propaganda/|title=Turkish court gives pro-Kurdish HDP's Taşdemir suspended sentence for 'terror propaganda'|last=SCF|date=2018-05-08|website=Stockholm Center for Freedom|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-05}} Due to a statement concerning the Turkish invasion of north eastern Syria he is investigated for terrorist propaganda since 2019.{{Cite web|title=Pro-Kurdish leaders investigated by Turkey for opposing Syrian offensive|url=https://ahvalnews.com/turkey-politics/pro-kurdish-leaders-investigated-turkey-opposing-syrian-offensive|access-date=2020-10-21|website=Ahval|language=en}} The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) condemned his prosecution and demanded an explanation from the Turkish authorities.{{Cite web|title=Turkey: Harassment of several HRDs as a reprisal for their calls for peace and respect of human rights in the context of the "Operation Peace Spring"|url=https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/human-rights-defenders/turkey-harassment-of-several-hrds-as-a-reprisal-for-their-calls-for|access-date=2020-10-21|website=International Federation for Human Rights|language=en}} On the 17 March 2021, the Turkish state prosecutor before the Court of Cassation Bekir Şahin filed a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court demanding for him and 686 other HDP politicians a five-year ban for political activities.{{Cite web|title=HDP indictment seeks political ban for 687 members, including Demirtaş, Buldan and Sancar|url=https://www.bianet.org/english/politics/241005-hdp-indictment-seeks-political-ban-for-687-members-including-demirtas-buldan-and-sancar|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-19|website=Bianet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318130959/https://bianet.org/english/politics/241005-hdp-indictment-seeks-political-ban-for-687-members-including-demirtas-buldan-and-sancar |archive-date=2021-03-18 }} The lawsuit was returned to the prosecutors office on the 31 March, as the indictment did not meet the legal requirements.{{Cite news|date=2021-03-31|title=Turkish court sends indictment seeking ban of pro-Kurdish party back to prosecutor|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/turkey-security-hdp-idINKBN2BN2JT|access-date=2021-04-04}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://www.tbmm.gov.tr/develop/owa/milletvekillerimiz_sd.bilgi?p_donem=25&p_sicil=7193 MP profile on the Grand National Assembly website]
- [http://www.haberler.com/berdan-ozturk/ Collection of all relevant news items at Haberler.com]
{{Ağrı MPs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ozturk, Berdan}}
Category:Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey) politicians
Category:Members of the 25th Parliament of Turkey
Category:Members of the 26th Parliament of Turkey
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Members of the 27th Parliament of Turkey