24.01.2026 00:00
Former DEP MP and former Siirt Mayor Selim Sadak passed away at the age of 71 in Germany, where he had been receiving cancer treatment for some time. Tuncer Bakırhan, Co-Chair of the DEM Party, expressed his sorrow over Sadak's death in a message shared on social media, stating, "Selim Sadak was an important politician who defended the will of the people during the most challenging times of democratic Kurdish politics, engaging in the struggle for democracy, peace, and equality without shying away from paying the price."
Former Democracy Party (DEP) Member of Parliament and former Siirt Mayor Selim Sadak passed away at the age of 71 in Germany, where he had been receiving cancer treatment for some time.
Selim Sadak, a well-known figure in Kurdish politics, had been undergoing cancer treatment in Heilbronn, Germany for a long time. It was reported that Sadak was hospitalized last Friday evening due to a deterioration in his health, but despite all interventions on the evening of December 19, he lost his life.
Following Sadak's death, the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) issued a condolence message. The statement emphasized that Sadak passed away in exile and included the following expressions:
"We have learned with great sadness that Kurdish politician Selim Sadak has passed away. We wish mercy from God for Sadak and condolences to his loved ones, especially his family. Sadak, who was always at the forefront of the Kurdish people's struggle for freedom and democracy, lost his life in exile, away from his homeland. He never ceased to fight against policies of oppression and arrest. We promise Selim Sadak that the peace he longed for will surely come to this geography."
DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan also expressed his sorrow regarding Sadak's death through a message shared on social media.
In his message, Bakırhan stated:
"Selim Sadak, who had been receiving cancer treatment in Germany for a long time, passed away in the hospital where he was being treated. Selim Sadak was an important politician who defended the will of the people during the most challenging times of democratic Kurdish politics, engaging in the struggle for democracy, peace, and equality without shying away from paying the price. I remember Selim Sadak with respect and gratitude. I extend my condolences to his family, loved ones, and our democratic Kurdish political community."
Born in 1954 in the village of Bafe, located in the İdil district of Şırnak, Selim Sadak completed his primary and secondary education in İdil. A graduate of the Mathematics Department of Diyarbakır Faculty of Education, Sadak worked as a teacher for a while before entering politics.
Sadak entered the Turkish Grand National Assembly as a Member of Parliament for Şırnak in the 19th term after being nominated by the People's Labor Party (HEP) from the lists of the Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP) in the 1991 general elections. After the closure of HEP, he joined the Democracy Party (DEP).
In the process that began with the Kurdish oath crisis in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Sadak's immunity was lifted on March 3, 1994, and he was arrested on March 17, 1994, along with DEP members of parliament, including Leyla Zana, Hatip Dicle, Orhan Doğan, Mahmut Alınak, and Sırrı Sakık.
Selim Sadak, who spent nearly 10 years in prison, was acquitted in June 2004 by a decision of the Court of Cassation.
After his release, Sadak continued his political career under the umbrella of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and served as a member of the executive board during the party's founding process.
In the local elections on March 29, 2009, Sadak was elected mayor in Siirt, receiving 49.43% of the votes as a candidate from the DTP.
Selim Sadak was married and the father of 10 children.