Secret witness in coup case trial revealed to be ex-PKK militant

ISTANBUL

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The identity of a secret witness in the Ergenekon trial was revealed today as Şemdin Sakık, a top leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and right-hand man to Abdullah Öcalan, daily Hürriyet reported.The 255th hearing of the ongoing Ergenekon trial began today with 33 defendants, including main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Mehmet Haberal, former Chief of General Staff Gen. İlker Başbuğ and Veli Küçük, in attendance.Previously the head of the court had said a secret witness, referred to only as “Deniz,” would testify in court today. However, the witness demanded to reveal himself and, following the court’s approval, Sakık’s true identity was made public.Sakık, second in command in the PKK, was captured by security forces in 1998. He was given the death penalty, but the sentence was commuted to life in prison after capital punishment was abolished in Turkey.Sakık’s testimony is continuing at an Istanbul court.