ELCI AND OTHERS v. TURKEY JUDGMENT 64 460. Mr Çem was recorded as stating that he sympathised with the PKK because of his Kurdish origins and had used his professional skills to assist it - acting as a courier and defence lawyer. He was engaged in disseminating propaganda to discredit the Turkish State abroad. He conveyed oral instructions to Abuldhakim Güven regarding the interruption of a review called “Free people”. He was given 5-10 million lire, as his activities for the PKK prevented him doing more legal work, and once transported 2 kilos of heroin from Diyarbakır to İstanbul. For five days he also harboured an ailing PKK woman in his house and procured medicine for her. 461. Mr Çem was tipped off not to return to Diyarbakır as Abdülhakim Güven had become a confessor and might have been about to denounce him. h) Mehmet Selim Kurbanoğlu (Statement dated 6 December 1993 and signed) 462. Mr Kurbanoğlu was recorded as stating that he had sympathised with the PKK since his school days and had become more and more influenced by them when he acted as their defence lawyer and through his friend Şinasi Tur. He met Abdülhakim Güven who said he would provide him with cases, in return for which he had to act as a courier, as did other lawyers. He received occasional sums of up to 1,000,000 lire in travel expenses for carrying messages between prisons. He helped Şinasi Tur transport the body of a dead PKK member. 463. He had received an “ERNK” note about his courier activities one evening on his way home from the State Security court. He had forgotten to take it out of his pocket, so it was found on him when he was apprehended. i) Meral Danis Beştaş (Undated statement, which Mrs Beştaş claimed she had not signed, but her refusal was not recorded on the document) 464. Mrs Beştaş was recorded as stating that she had known PKK members for years, having become a sympathiser when she was a law student, it being an organisation engaged in an armed struggle with the Turkish State for Kurdish freedom and independence. 465. After marrying Mesut Beştaş and setting up a law practice with him, they gradually became involved as PKK couriers between prisons. Lawyers who did not support the PKK could not plead cases before the State Security Court. She spread propaganda belittling the Turkish State. She and Hüsniye Ölmez tried to expose the State Security Court to public scrutiny and she worked for the Diyarbakır Human Rights Association. She acted in solidarity with other applicants.