Ferhat Encü

Ferhat Encü (*5 August 1985, Roboski) is a former Kurdish member of the Turkish Parliament in the Sirnak Province of Turkey. Encü is well known for a speech that he gave on the floor of the Parliament in Ankara. In his speech, Encü criticized the Turkish Government for their violence and mistreatment of the Kurdish people. After delivering the speech, Encü was arrested and stripped of his parliamentary immunity.[1]

Ferhat Encü
Member of Parliament
In office
7 June 2015 – 1 November 2015
In office
1 November 2015 – 6 February 2018
Personal details
Born
Ferhat Encü

5 August 1985
Roboski
CitizenshipTurkey
Political partyHDP

Early life

Encü was born on August 5, 1985 in the Roboski district of the Sirnak Province of Turkey. He attended and graduated from high school in Turkey and speaks Kurdish at a very high level.[2] In 2009, Encü began to study at the Çukurova University in Adana, Turkey, but took a break from education in order to focus on speaking for the victims of the Roboski airstrike after 2011.[3] During the Roboski massacre, he lost 11 relatives.[4] After, Encü began pursuing a political career in Turkey and on 7 June 2015, he was elected MP for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).[5] He was re-elected in the snap elections of 1 November 2015.[6]

Political career and prosecution

In the years following the Roboski Airstrike, Ferhat Encü has been actively fighting for justice for the village of Roboski.[7] Initially, Encü served as the official spokesperson for Roboski with the assistance of his younger brother Veli Encü, but Ferhat eventually pursued a career in Turkish government as a lawmaker so that he would be able to launch a legitimate official inquiry into the Roboski Massacre.[7] Encü's membership in Turkish Parliament however was cut short in late 2016 when he was arrested and convicted of “making propaganda for a terrorist organisation.”[7]

Encü's Speech in Ankara

In early February, 2016, Ferhat Encü delivered a speech on the floor of the parliament in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. In his speech, Encü delivered very critical remarks about the Turkish Government and their mistreatment of Kurdish people, specifically referencing the Roboski Massacre and the Turkish government's ongoing conflict with the PKK.[8][1] Encü's six minute long speech was constantly interrupted by members of Turkish Parliament yelled at Encü, accusing him of terrorist affiliation, treason and even threatening his life for his remarks against the Turkish government.[1] Eventually, a brawl broke out on the floor of parliament as members of the Justice and Development Party (Turkish: Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, abbreviated AKP) were reported to have been shoving Encü and accusing him of supporting a terrorist organization.[9] Another report stated that punching and slapping was occurring as deputies reacted to the words of Encü.[8] Prior to the speech, Encü had been known for his opposition to the Turkish government for their violence against the Kurds.[1]

Arrest

In the years leading up to the speech that Encü delivered on the floor of Ankara, Encü had struggled with political and legal issues quite frequently. During the inquest against Encü following the Roboski massacre, he was accused of assault against the Uludere district's governor and was arrested and detained as a result.[10] After his speech in Ankara, Encü was arrested and held in a pre-trial detention center until November, when Encü was officially convicted of alienating the public from military service, terrorist propaganda, incitement to animosity, entering military prohibited zones, attempted murder of a public official for their duty.[9] Following the conviction, Encü was stripped of his parliamentary immunity and imprisoned in the Kandira F-type prison. According to Turkey's constitution, any conviction involving terrorism charges precludes parliamentary dictatorship. Encü was one of nine Kurdish HDP MPs who were arrested in the wake of legislation proposal about lifting the parliamentary immunities of HDP MPs who summary of proceedings were issued for. As of November 13, 2017 all nine HDP MPs remained behind bars.[2][11]

Release

In a separate trial that concluded in 2018, Encü was sentenced to 10 months in prison for insulting the government. He was released in June, 2019, after completing his sentence.[12]

References
  1. Sassounian, Harut (2018-11-20). "Kurdish Member of Turkish Parliament Jailed after Harsh Speech". The Armenian Weekly. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
  2. Newsdesk, BIA (February 7, 2018). "HDP MP Ferhat Encu Relieved of MP Duties". Bianet.
  3. "Ferhat Encü Kimdir ? - Ferhat Encü Hayatı ve Biyografisi". www.haberler.com. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  4. "Roboski Victims' Relative Seeks Compensation After Four Detentions - Bianet". 2014-01-07. Archived from the original on 2014-01-07. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  5. Şafak, Yeni (2020-01-30). "Şırnak Seçim Sonuçları 2015 - Genel Seçim 2015". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  6. Şafak, Yeni (2020-01-30). "Şırnak Seçim Sonuçları 2015 - Genel Seçim Kasım 2015". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  7. "7 years later, Roboski families cling to fading hope". Ahval. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  8. Hardy, Catherine (2016-05-02). "Incredible scenes in the Turkish parliament". euronews. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  9. "Kurdish Peace Activist Ferhat Encu in Prison on Roboski Massacre Anniversary". The Kurdistan Tribune. 2016-12-28. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  10. Bourges, Renée Lucie (2017-01-12). "Ferhat Encü, expiatory victim of injustice". KEDISTAN (in French). Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  11. "Ferhat Encü loses seat in Turkish Parliament, bringing number of revoked HDP deputyships to seven - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  12. TM. "Former HDP deputy Ferhat Encü released from prison - Turkish Minute". Retrieved 2019-11-21.
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