Turkish man charged in France PKK murders

Preliminary murder and terrorism charges filed against ethnic Kurd who was driver of one of the victims.

PKK murders
They activists' bodies were transported back to Turkey, where they were buried on Thursday [Reuters]

Prosecutors in France are reported to have filed preliminary murder and terrorism charges against a Turkish citizen who worked as a driver for one of three Kurdish activists who were killed in Paris earlier this month.

The suspect, identified as Omer Guney, 30, drove for the most prominent victim, Sakine Cansiz, a woman in her 50s who helped found the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, an armed group seeking autonomy for Turkey’s Kurds.

The other two victims were identified as Leyla Soylemez and Fidan Dogan, Kurdish activists in their 20s.

Guney has told investigators he has been a member of the PKK for two years, Francois Molins, prosecutor, said on Monday.

Guney has denied all the charges.

There is “serious and corroborating evidence” to show that Guney had a role in the January 9 killings, Molins said.

The preliminary charges of murder in connection with a terrorist operation and conspiracy were filed against Guney, who is being detained, Molins said.

Guney was one of two ethnic Kurds detained by French authorities last week. The other man has been released without charge.

Charges only preliminary

Monday’s move opens the way to a fuller investigation which would lead to formal charges, if sufficient evidence is found.

If there is not enough evidence to support suspicions, the preliminary charges will be dropped.

The conflict in Turkey between the PKK and government forces has claimed tens of thousands of lives since 1984.

Of late, Turkish officials have been holding talks with the PKK in an effort to persuade it to disarm. And Turkey’s government has said those opposed to such talks may have been involved in the Paris killings.

Molins said video cameras show that Guney was inside the Kurdish Information Centre in the 10th district of Paris on January 9 at the time investigators believe the killings occurred there: between 12:43pm and 1:21pm local time.

The prosecutor said 10 shots were fired – four into the head of one of the victims and three into the heads of the other two.

Murder weapons have not been found, but investigators believe only one was used in the attack.

Gunpowder traces

The investigators say they found a bag in Guney’s car that had traces of gunpowder on it, and that police say the bag may have been carrying a gun.

Video evidence from a nearby store, a parking garage and elsewhere shows Guney entering the Kurdish Information Center with Cansiz at 11:29pm.

He left briefly to return to a nearby parking garage and was seen returning to the centre at 12:11am, the prosecutor said.

Guney was in the centre, where the bodies were found for about 45 minutes, leaving at 12:56am, Molins said.

Investigators place the time of deaths at between 12:43am and 1:21am.

When confronted with the video evidence of his presence at the centre, Guney initially told police he had “forgotten” to tell them he had returned to the centre, Molins said.

Later, Guney claimed the videotapes must have been manipulated, according to the prosecutor.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies