HDP: The end of democracy in Turkey

 

Nine lawmakers from Turkey’s opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), including its co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, were arrested on Friday in a probe that was launched against 14 of the party’s lawmakers, İdris Baluken, Abdullah Zeydan, Gülser Yıldırım, Nursel Aydoğan, Leyla Birlik, Selma Irmak and Ferhat Encü.

"The goal of these measures is to shut down the third largest party in parliament. This is a dark day not only for our party but for all of Turkey and the region as it means the end of democracy in Turkey" said the HDP in a statement. "We strongly condemn the detention of our Co-Chairs as well our Members of Parliament and demand their immediate release" read the statement.

"The manufactured charges against them and all other party members must be dropped. History has shown over and over again that any power based on brute force is outlived by the struggle for justice and freedom. We will not surrender to these dictatorial policies and call upon our friends around the world to stand in solidarity in our struggle to prevent Erdogan to steer the country into a civil war and further despotism" it added.

"Thousands of members, executives, elected mayors and city council members affiliated with the HDP and/or our sister party DBP have already been sent to prison on groundless charges since our electoral victory in June 2015" it said, reminding that on October 30, Gülten Kisanak and Firat Anli, elected co-mayors of Diyarbakir from the HDP, were arrested and sent to prison.