Turkish court convicts five DBP members of terror charges

ŞANLIURFA - Anadolu Agency

A southeastern Turkish court on Dec. 1 sentenced five members of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) to prison terms on terrorism charges. 

The 6th High Criminal Court in Şanlıurfa province sentenced Celal Babacan, the provincial head of the DBP, to two years and six months for spreading terrorist propaganda. 

The DBP’s Siverek district chief, Sedat Çelik, was also convicted and received a 10-month sentence for the same charges. 

DBP members İbrahim Dodanlı, Servet Kaplan and Mahmut Yaşar were each sentenced to one year and 10 months. 

The DBP is the regional-level sister party of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). 

Turkey’s government accuses the HDP of being linked to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.