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Six Kurdish individuals appeared in a British court on Friday facing charges of membership in PKK, a terrorist organization banned in the United Kingdom, the U.S., Türkiye, and multiple Western nations.
The defendants, ranging in age from 24 to 63, have all pleaded not guilty to charges of belonging to or professing to belong to the PKK, which Britain designated as a terrorist organization in 2001. Prosecutors allege that several defendants also organized or addressed meetings supporting the group in 2023 and 2024.
Authorities charged the six defendants in Dec. 2024 following a police operation at a Kurdish Community Centre in north London the previous month. The accused are identified as Ercan Akbal, 57, Ali Boyraz, 63, Agit Karatas, 24, Berfin Kerban, 32, Turkan Ozcan, 60, and Mazlum Sayak, 28.
Beyond the membership charges, prosecutors have brought additional counts against four defendants. Akbal faces two counts each of arranging meetings to support the PKK and addressing meetings to encourage such support. Ozcan and Sayak each face two counts of arranging supportive meetings, while Boyraz and Karatas each face one count of addressing meetings to encourage backing for the organization.
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The PKK, which waged a four-decade armed campaign seeking independence or autonomy for Türkiye's southeastern regions, announced plans last year to disarm and disband.
The group conducted a symbolic weapons-burning ceremony as part of this declaration. However, the organization remains proscribed across numerous jurisdictions, including the European Union and the United States.
The case is scheduled to proceed over approximately three months as prosecutors present evidence against the defendants and the defense mounts its challenge to the charges. All six defendants maintain their innocence on the membership allegations.
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