A Turkish court in the city of Edirne has sentenced a German-Kurdish singer to six years and three months in prison, accusing her of being a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

She was acquitted on two further counts of incitement and insulting the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. In all, she faced up to 13 years behind bars.

The woman, whose trial began on September 26, followed court proceedings via video link from the Bakirkoy women's prison in Istanbul. Her attorney, Newroz Akalin, said the verdict will be appealed.

Turkey, as well as the European Union and the United States, consider the PKK a terrorist organization.

Arrested at opposition campaign rally

The singer, who goes by the name Hozan Cane, was arrested in Edirne in late June after she had appeared at a campaign event for the pro-Kurdish opposition People's Democratic Party (HDP) ahead of national elections. Prosecutors focused on some of Cane's Facebook posts in their arguments.

Cane's family said the photos in the posts were taken during the filming of a movie about "Islamic State" (IS) atrocities committed against Yezidis in Iraq. Yezidis are a religious group, some of whom identify as ethnic Kurds. The photos show Cane with fighters from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria. The Turkish government also sees the YPG — which is fighting IS — as linked to the PKK and has been attacking them militarily in Syria.

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Why are German and Turkish relations so strained? Tensions following failed coup in Turkey July 15, 2016: A faction of the Turkish military tried to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but ultimately failed. Ankara accused Berlin of not taking a clear stand against the coup attempt or not doing anything about exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen's organization, who Erdogan blames for orchestrating the failed coup.

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Why are German and Turkish relations so strained? Arrest of German citizens in Turkey February 14, 2017: Deniz Yücel, a correspondent for the "Welt" newspaper, was taken into custody in Turkey. Other German nationals, including journalist Mesale Tolu and human rights activist Peter Steudtner were detained in Turkey for what Berlin dubbed "political reasons." Turkey accused them of supporting terrorist organizations. All three have since been released pending trial.

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Why are German and Turkish relations so strained? Spying allegations March 30, 2017: Germany accused Turkey of spying on hundreds of suspected Gulen supporters as well as over 200 associations and schools linked to the Gulen movement in Germany. Turkish asylum-seekers have since accused officials working in Germany's immigration authority (BAMF) of passing on their information to media outlets with ties to the Turkish government.

Why are German and Turkish relations so strained? Erdogan urges German-Turks not to vote for 'enemies of Turkey' August 18, 2017: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed three of Germany's main political parties as "enemies of Turkey" and told Turks living in Germany not to vote for them in September's general election. He singled out Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), the Social Democrats (SPD), and the Greens. Merkel said Erdogan was "meddling" in Germany's election.

Why are German and Turkish relations so strained? Merkel says Turkey should not become EU member September 4, 2017: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during an election debate that she didn't think Turkey should become a member of the European Union and said she would speak with other EU leaders about ending Ankara's accession talks. In October, she backed a move to cut Turkey's pre-accession EU funds.

Why are German and Turkish relations so strained? Turkey's military offensive in Afrin January 20, 2018: The Turkish military and their Syrian rebel allies launched "Operation Olive Branch" against the Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin in northern Syria. The move was criticized by German politicians and prompted large protests by Kurdish communities in Germany.

Why are German and Turkish relations so strained? Journalist Deniz Yücel released from prison February 16, 2018: Turkey ordered the release of German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel after he'd been held for over a year without charge. According to Turkish state media, Yücel was released on bail from pre-trial detention. Prosecutors asked for an 18-year jail sentence for Yücel on charges of "terror propaganda" and incitement.

Why are German and Turkish relations so strained? Özil quits July 2018: German footballer Mesut Özil quit the national team following the fallout from his meeting with the Turkish president. Özil said he was being made a scapegoat for Germany's forgettable performance at the FIFA World Cup in Moscow because of his Turkish heritage. Erdogan praised Özil's decision and slammed the "racist" mistreatment of the footballer.

Why are German and Turkish relations so strained? Travel ban lifted August 2018: A Turkish court removed the travel ban on German journalist Mesale Tolu, who was arrested last year on terrorism-related charges. But the trial against Tolu, who has since returned to Germany, is set to continue. Her husband, Suat Corlu, who is facing similar charges, has been ordered to remain in Turkey. Author: Rebecca Staudenmaier



Hasty verdict

Mustafa Pekoz, who is part of Cane's legal team, was critical of the swiftness of the court's decision.

"Not one of our motions was granted during the trial," he told DW. "The court's decision was premature."

He accused the court of quickly handing down its verdict in order "to hinder public support" for his client.

The singer's daughter was also stunned by the speed with which the court reached its decision. Dilan Ors told DW: "It shocked us that the court issued this heavy verdict — guilt of membership in a terrorist organization — in less than 10 minutes. All of our evidence was ignored. We were not expecting a decision like this. Of course we are going to appeal."

Another German with 'terrorist ties'?

The German Foreign Office said the singer is receiving support from the German consulate in Istanbul and that representatives were present during the trial. Cane is a German citizen and a resident of Cologne.

Cane is the third German in as many months to be sentenced to prison in Turkey on terror-related charges. At least four additional German citizens are currently in Turkish prisons and due to be tried on terror charges in the coming weeks.

German Left Party parliamentarian Sevim Dagdelen called Cane's trial "a political farce." She says it simply shows that "Turkey is not a country of laws but rather a despotic regime."

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Charting Turkey's slide towards authoritarianism May 2013: Dissent erupts in Gezi Park Pent-up anger directed by young people at Erdogan, Gul and the Islamist-rooted AKP hits a boiling point in May 2013. The violent police breakup of a small sit-in aimed at protecting Istanbul's Gezi Park spurs one of the fiercest anti-government protests in years. Eleven people are killed and more than 8,000 injured, before the demonstrations eventually peter out a month later.

Charting Turkey's slide towards authoritarianism July 2015: Turkey relaunches crackdown against Kurds A fragile ceasefire deal between the Turkish government and the Kurdish rebel PKK group breaks under the weight of tensions aggravated by the war in Syria. Military forces resume operations in the mostly Kurdish southeast of Turkey. In early 2016, the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK) — a breakaway PKK faction — claim responsibility for two bombings in Ankara, each killing 38 people.

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Charting Turkey's slide towards authoritarianism July 2016: President Erdogan enacts a state of emergency In the aftermath of the failed coup, Erdogan announces a state of emergency, leading to arrests of tens of thousands of suspected coup sympathizers and political opponents. Among those detained are military and judiciary officials and elected representatives from the pro-Kurdish HDP party. The purge is later expanded to include civil servants, university officials and teachers.

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js/sms (AFP, dpa)

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