-17 SUSPECTS IN COURT

BRUSSELS - The trial of 17 suspects who have connection with the terrorist organization PKK/KADEK started in Brussels Penal Court on Friday morning.
Belgian judiciary completed the investigation started in 1996 about some sub-institutions of the terrorist organization and its supporters and started a trial process also about the monetary sources of the terrorist organization.
Belgian police raided on September 18, 1996 the studios of Med-TV, the broadcasting organ of the terrorist organization PKK, in Denderleeuw town near Brussels within the scope of the operation namely ''Spoutnik operation,'' the office of the so-called Kurdish parliament and representations of the terrorist organization. Many documents and footage were seized and five persons were arrested. Those persons were released after 30 days to be tried without detention.
Brussels Prosecutor's Office also focused on crimes of the terrorist organization such as laundering black money, smuggling people, collecting money by force, blackmailing people, preparing false documents, and drug smuggling. Head of the terrorist organization who is imprisoned on Imrali island was also questioned by Belgian officials within the same investigation.
Belgian officials said that they particularly focused on the income earned by the terrorist organization through illegal ways and that this issue would be given priority during the trial.
Officials stated that they also focused on the money of the Med-Tv seized in Luxembourg banks whose source could not be shown, its various expenses, incidents of children kidnapping.
Belgian judge Regine Claeys stated that the trial would last long. The Belgian Prosecutor Dirk Merks will make his accusations about the suspects in the coming days.
On the first day of the trial, 17 suspects were present in court room. Here are the names of the suspects: Richard Adam, Erkan Agbaba, Haydar Agbaba, Aristos Aristidou, Ali Aslýyuce, Bruno Burzi, Rýza Erdogan, Zeynep Gezik, Ilhan Kýzýlhan, Hurriyet Ozaslan, Ibrahim Pekgoz, Roland Ponnet, Haluk Sayan, Zana Serin, Hikmet Tabak, Kazým Timurlenk and Kemal Yucel.
Part of the suspects' lawyers came to Brussels from the Netherlands and Germany. Among the layers, there are also Jean Fermon and Paul Bekaert, lawyers of DHKP/C terrorist Fehriye Erdal.
The lawyers of the suspects requested Belgian Penal Court to give decision of lack of jurisdiction over the case and to transfer the case to Belgian High Criminal Court.
Paul Bekaert, the lawyer commented that it was a political trial claiming that they defended the ''identities and culture'' of the suspects.
Another lawyer of the suspects Jean Feymon noted that they needed time due to the deficiencies in files and documents and asked for postponement of the hearing.
Judge Claeys said that they would examine the objections about the authority of the court and announce its decision in the coming session.
The court sessions will continue on September 24, 25 and 26 by the questioning of the suspects. The witnesses will be listened in the hearings on September 3 and 9. Lawyers on the other hand will start their defense as of October 10.
The trial of the supporters of the terrorist organization was held in Brussels Court House. Tight security measures were taken around the Court House and those who entered the building were searched.
(ÖÞ-AÖ) 19.09.2003