Selahattin put HDP Majors & MPs at risk of imprisonment

[Anthea]

PS:

Turkey has the habit of re-arresting Kurdish political figures

[Anthea]

Court rejects application
for release of Demirtaş

In a decision issued on Saturday, a court in Ankara rejected an application for the release of former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş from prison

The 7th Criminal Division of the local court referred to the "lack of translation" of the written ECtHR ruling into Turkish. "The defendant's defense attorneys attached only an English translation to their application for release from custody. In this respect, it is assumed that the ECtHR judgment is not suitable for a legal review of the arrest warrant," ruled the Criminal Division.

Demirtaş's lawyer Mahsuni Karaman accused the court of committing a "crime."

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled on December 22 that the detention of Selahattin Demirtaş was politically motivated and that he must be released immediately. In addition, the Turkish leadership must pay the Kurdish politician 60,400 euros for property damage, non-material damage, and compensation for costs and expenses. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan then accused the ECtHR of "double standards and hypocrisy” and claimed that the Strasbourg judges backed a "terrorist" with the ruling.

Selahattin Demirtaş has been in prison for over four years. The lawyer was arrested on November 4, 2016, at the same time as numerous other Kurdish and leftist politicians and subsequently imprisoned. A year ago, the arrest warrants against Demirtaş and co-chairwoman Figen Yüksekdağ were surprisingly lifted. However, at the instigation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a new arrest warrant was issued. Erdoğan stated, "We cannot release them. They infiltrated the parliament. Our nation does not forget those who called people to the streets and murdered our sons. We will pursue them to the last and never let up."

In June, the Turkish Constitutional Court had upheld a lawsuit filed by Demirtaş alleging that his personal freedom had been violated by pre-trial detention. The court upheld Demirtaş, ruling that the period of pre-trial detention exceeded the "reasonable period of time" and thus violated Article 19 of the Turkish Constitution. The Ministry of Justice would also have to pay him 50,000 TL in compensation. Despite the legal success, he was not released from prison because a new detention decision had already been issued against the Kurdish politician.

The ECtHR in Strasbourg had already ruled in November 2018 that Demirtaş's pre-trial detention was unlawful. This ruling was also undermined by an ad hoc conviction in one of the countless criminal proceedings against the Kurdish politician.

[Anthea]

Detention of 20 politicians

The arrest warrant of the HDP and DBP politicians arrested on the basis of the so-called "Kobanê investigation" in early October will not be lifted for the time being

The 3rd Criminal Division of the Ankara Courthouse on Monday ordered the continuation of the pre-trial detention of twenty of those affected. The copy-paste decision was justified by the argument that the grounds for suspicion against the defendants had not been eliminated and no facts in their favor had been presented, while in addition, there would be the possibility of evidence disappearing. In seven other cases, the detention review has not yet taken place.

The non-public hearing of Ayhan Bilgen, Emine Ayna, Ayla Akat Ata, Beyza Üstün, Ibrahim Binici, Günay Kubilay, Alp Altınörs, Nazmi Gür, Ali Ürküt, Zeki Çelik, Bülent Barmaksız, Can Memiş, Cihan Erdal, Ismail Şengül, Mesut Bağcık, Bircan Yorulmaz, Dilek Yağlı, Pervin Oduncu, Berfin Özgü Köse and Ayşe Yağcı was held on Monday.

HDP parliamentary group deputy co-chair Meral Danış Beştaş pointed to another judicial scandal in this context, as the hearings were held at Sincan Prison via a video-conferencing system without the presence of the lawyers. "Our friends were brought forward late at night and had to wait out the entire night in the waiting room. They were not questioned until the next morning. Their defense lawyers have not been informed about the appointment," said Danış Beştaş.

Legal counsel announces appeal

The courts in Ankara have not yet decided whether to open the main trial, which dates back to the 2014 Kobanê protests, because the indictment has not yet been fully prepared. The legal counsel for the imprisoned politicians has already announced an appeal against the continued detention of their clients. Defense lawyers also want to take action against the continued detention of former HDP chairman Selahattin Demirtaş, who will not be released from prison despite a ruling to the contrary by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

[Anthea]

European Parliament calls for
Turkey to release Selahattin

The European Parliament on Thursday called for the “immediate and unconditional release” of politician Selahattin Demirtas, the former co-chair of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party who has been in jail for more than four years

The European Parliament “considers the unlawful extension of Mr Demirtas’ detention for more than 4 years a cruel and politically motivated punishment that is causing irreparable personal and political damage to him, his family and his party,” read the resolution that got the backing of the majority of lawmakers.

Demirtas was detained in November 2016 along with a number of officials and parliamentarians from his Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) on allegations of ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an armed group fighting for the rights of Kurds in Turkey but classified as a terrorist organization by Ankara.

In December, a European court ordered Turkey to release Demirtas, saying it found several human rights violations in his case. A few weeks later, a Turkish court accepted a new indictment against the charismatic leader.

The European Parliament condemned Turkey’s flouting of the court decision and raised concerns about “political motivations” behind the case against Demirtas.

The legislature also slammed a 2020 crackdown on HDP and Turkey’s opposition that has seen dozens of politicians and civil society actors arrested under terror-related charges.

Demirtas’ detention will likely be discussed when Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visits Brussels this week. His trip comes as Ankara is keen to “turn a new page” with Europe, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said recently.

Implementing reforms and “respecting and applying the rulings of the ECtHR [European Court of Human Rights] would be an important step in confirming the credibility of such statements,” the European Parliament stated in the resolution passed on Thursday.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... /210120211

Demirtas was detained in November 2016 along with a number of officials and parliamentarians from his Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) on allegations of ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an armed group fighting for the rights of Kurds in Turkey but classified as a terrorist organization by Ankara.

1) Selahattin, as leader of the HDP is responsible for a great many of his followers being arrested - the arrests are ongoing

2) I strongly believe that the PKK should be the Army of Northern Kurdistan (as the Peshmega are in South Kurdistan)

3) There is more than enough evidence online to link Selahattin to the PKK and were he half a man he stand up for those brave people who fight and for Kurdish Freedom

4) Selahattin does NOT have the courage of his convictions and since his arrest he has supposedly opted out of politics - like a rat leaving a sinking ship

5) Selahattin, as leader of the HDP, did NOTHING to save HANSANKEYF something I cannot forgive nor forget

6) Selahattin, as leader of the HDP, did NOTHING to obtain OCALAN'S freedom

7) Worst of all, when Selahattin has the attention of the EU courts and to some extent the world press, he still fails to stand up for what he once reportedly believed in - A FREE KURDISTAN

I believe Selahattin, for once in his life, should actually stand up for an Independent Kurdistan and tell the world of all the barbaric horrors, tortures, rapes, murders, massacres, destruction of homes and even entire villages, the burning of forests and farm lands etc that the innocent Kurds have undergone since having their lands divided

[Anthea]

8 detained as Istanbul police attack HDP protest

In the run-up to a rally planned in Istanbul's Kadiköy district to mark the hunger strike of political prisoners against Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan's isolation and inhumane prison conditions, the police have sealed off the building of the HDP district association

The demonstrators, who include members of parliament Züleyha Gülüm and Musa Piroğlu, the co-chairs of the Istanbul HDP associations, activists from the women's movement TJA and members of the prisoners' aid association MATUHAY-DER, were prevented from leaving the HDP building.

The crowd protested the arbitrary blockade chanting the slogans “Repression will not intimidate us”, "Bijî Serok Apo" [Long live leader Öcalan] and "Thousand greetings to Imrali". The police attacked the crowd after announcing an imminent intervention against the slogans. During the police crackdown, many people ended up in danger of being crushed.

IMRALI ISOLATION GIVES WAY TO BLOCKADE IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY!

Meanwhile 8 people were subjected to police violence and detained during a sit-in action to protest the blockade in the event area.

HDP deputy Musa Piroğlu, who made a statement under the blockade, said, “This blockade and state terror once again showed that isolation is the main problem of this country. Once again it showed that the isolation policy in İmralı is returning to this country as a police blockade."

THE DAYS YOU WILL MEET WITH THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE ARE CLOSE

Emphasizing that the state's fear of the rights and democracy has been revealed once again, Piroğlu said: “There is no chance for democracy to flourish in this country without solving the Kurdish problem. There is no chance of achieving labor rights if the Kurdish problem remains unsolved.

This blockade was seen before when students protested pro-gov’t rector at Boğaziçi University, when workers sought their labor rights and when women objected to male violence. Once again it has become clear that this country has only one solution to the problems; we have to remove the root of this blockade.

The root of this blockade is the government itself, and those who ordered and laid this blockade today should know that the days when they will meet the will of the people's power are close. The blockade will end and only then will the seeds of freedom and democracy be planted in the country's land.”

After the speech, the police attempted to attack the crowd as they chanted "Bijî Serok Apo. The tensions ended after the mediation of HDP Istanbul Provincial Co-chair Erdal Avcı.

[Anthea]

For several weeks, calls for a ban of the HDP in Turkey have been growing louder

Driven by the staunchly nationalist MHP - government partner of the AKP - the HDP is currently equated with terrorism and demanded to put an end to it for the benefit of Turkey. Neither the opposition parties such as the CHP or Iyi Parti, nor Erdogan's AKP raise public objections.

In connection with the widespread assumption that the presidential elections scheduled for 2023 in Turkey could be brought forward, a ban of the HDP can be expected this year.

Former AKP cadres such as Davutoglu - Turkish foreign minister during the renewed escalation of the war against the Kurdish population in 2015 - and Ali Babacan have been positioning themselves with their newly founded parties for some time. Their pro-Kurdish rhetoric - known from Erdogan at the beginning of his term in office in 2002 - aims to fill the void that would arise in the political landscape as a result of an HDP ban in new elections.

[Anthea]

HDP announces campaign
with four main themes

The HDP is under great pressure in Turkey. The party announced the start of a new campaign with four main topics for the beginning of February

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) is launching a multi-month campaign in February on four main issues:

Isolation
Hunger strike
Kobanê trial
ECtHR ruling in Demirtaş trial

This was announced by HDP chairpersons Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar at an online meeting of their party's Local Governments Committee.

The meeting discussed the current political situation and the local work of the HDP. HDP co-chair Mithat Sancar pointed out the state repression against the HDP and stated that a new struggle program will be published on February 8: That we are in the right is constantly proven on different levels.

The latest example is the ECtHR ruling in the Selahattin Demirtaş case. The government says it will not implement this judgment. We will campaign for this at home and abroad. Last week, we held talks with the ambassadors of France and Germany. On Friday, the chairperson of the EU-Turkey delegation visited us.

A day before that, the European Parliament adopted a very important resolution by a large majority, stating once again that we are in the right. We are continuing our fight at home, we are very active diplomatically abroad. We know that we will be successful. In order to transform Turkey into a democratic republic, we must continue on our path with determination.

Afterwards, Pervin Buldan explained the contents of the campaign, which will be conducted until June. The main topics of isolation, hunger strike, Kobanê trial and ECtHR judgment must be continuously on the agenda of the Kurdish and democratic forces, Buldan said and added:

"These issues do not only concern the Kurds. They concern all of Turkey. The more we can involve people from outside our party, the more likely we are to succeed. Locally, there are various democratic circles, political parties and civil society organizations that can be involved in the respective work."

If Turkey were to implement the ECtHR ruling and release Selahattin, they will also have to release all other members of the HDP - the Turkish government is much more likely to ban the HDP in it's entirety. It would appear from recent news that Turkey is already contemplating such a move

[Anthea]

Why is it that nobody mentions Selahattin Demirtas brother Nurettin Demirtas?

Demirtas, who was not a member of the parliament spent 12 years in prison between 1993 and 2005 for membership in the Turkey's Kurdistan Workers' Party PKK, the separatist Kurdish group that has fought the government since 1984.

[Anthea]

HDP Sultangazi district co-chair jailed

Kurdish politician Berivan Zadsan has been arrested in Istanbul. The co-chairwoman of the HDP's Sultangazi association has a final verdict against her on terror charges. She has already been transferred to the Bakırköy women's prison

Kurdish politician Berivan Zadsan had been arrested in Istanbul. Early Saturday morning, police officers stormed the apartment of the economist, who is also co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) association in the Sultangazi district, and took her to the Gaziosmanpaşa Courthouse. There, a final verdict was read out with a prison sentence of three years and three months against Zadsan for alleged PKK membership. The politician was then transferred to Bakırköy Women's Prison.

It is currently unclear what "guilt" was used as the basis for the sentence since legal counsel has not yet been given access to the case file. Berivan Zadsan had been detained in May 2016 while studying in Bitlis along with thirteen other students on vaguely worded terror charges and was held in pre-trial detention for some time.

Daily arrests or detentions

In Northern Kurdistan and Turkey, arrests and detentions of people from the spectrum of the HDP and its sister party DBP occur daily. According to a November tally, at least 22,321 HDP members have been detained since 2015, and at least 10,000 are in prison.

[Anthea]

What is happening in Turkey:

Let us not forget that 4 years ago Erdogan stated he would immediately approve the reinstatement of the death penalty

Just because he has not done so yet, does not mean he will not do so in the future.

Capital Punishment is legal in Syria, Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia

Muslims believe in Capital Punishment - Turkey is a Sunni Muslim country

[Anthea]

Police detain more HDP members

The political genocide operation carried out in Batman ended with the detention of Bekirhan Municipality co-chair Gülistan Sönük and 6 other HDP members



The homes of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) members and executives, including that of Bekirhan Municipality co-chair Gülistan Sönük, were raided in Batman.

Co-chair Sönük and HDP Provincial Organization executive Murat Kılıç, Central District esecutive Tayfun Güney, Youth Council member Mehmet Emin Salman, Kozluk Municipality Council member Şükran Çotak, HDP member Suat Öztekin and Seyid Ali Doğan were taken into custody.

The 7 people were taken to Batman Provincial Police Department.

[Anthea]

In a little over 2 years Turkey will hold elections

The CHP are expected to be strong but one of their strongest Politicians Muharrem Ince, may do even better and is in the process establishing his own movement.

The new, as yet un-named ex-CHP splinter group's policies are also as yet unknown but are expected to be hard-line nationalist. It is expected many from the CHP will be joining the new group.

Within Turkey, there is a great pressure to bring back Capital Punish and shut down the HDP

Whatever will win Erdogan much needed votes - he will do

Time to face facts:

The likelihood of the HDP being allowed to continue functioning is remote

Shutting the HDP down overnight may well have caused Kurds to wake up and spurred them into taking some form of united action

Erdogan is too clever for that and is gradually, one by one, removing the HDP from the political arena

Erdogan, well known for his dislike of Kurds, already appears to be doing his best to remove the HDP members from any and all positions of power

There are now very few HDP members remaining in any official capacity

We must remember that the Turkish population is taught from an early age to HATE KURDS

The large Kurdish protests of 20 years ago no longer take place

Hope for the best but prepare for the worst

Time for Kurds to take their proverbial head out of the sand - stand up for a FREE KURDISTAN or there will be NO KURDISTAN and NO KURDS

[Anthea]

Another 25 HDP members detained

Early this morning Turkish police stormed apartments in the northern Kurdish provinces of Ağrı, Şırnak and Amed and arrested members and executives of the People's Democratic Party (HDP). Mikail Yaman was arrested in Amed for allegedly sending money to his imprisoned brother

13 people detained in Agrî

In Doğubeyazıt, a number of people were taken into custody. Among them are HDP party council member Talha Kaya and Ahmet Yaşmiş from the HDP provincial executive, Cemil Koc from the Association of Relatives of Detainees (TUHAY-DER), Rahim Gönen from Doğubeyazıt city council. So far, a total of 13 people has been brought to the police headquarters.

Arrested for sending money to his brother in prison

Mikail Yaman's house in Amed was searched. His brother Halil Yaman has been detained between 2010 and 2020. He was previously co-chair of the district association of the HDP's predecessor party BDP (Party of Peace and Democracy) from Ergani. Mikail Yaman is now being investigated for “financing a terrorist organization” because of the money he sent to his brother while in Bandırma No. 4 T-Type Prison. In this context he was arrested and taken to the gendarme station in Kayapınar.

Ten people detained in Şırnak

House raids were carried out in Sırnak city centre as well as in Cizre, Idil and Uludere. Among the ten people arrested is Agit Yiğit from the provincial leadership of the HDP. The number of those arrested may increase in the next hours.

The people detained have been named as follows: Agit Yiğit, Fatma Acet, Fırat Akyol, Cami Bilik, Nihat Küçük, Mahsum Kurami, Serhat Çatuk, Mustafa Dal, Ömer Karaviş and Abdullah Yaman

[Anthea]

Turkey arrests over 700

Turkish security forces on Monday arrested over 700 people across the country for their alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), following the deaths of 13 Turkish nationals blamed on the PKK, according to the interior ministry as reported by state media. The arrests include officials from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)

Raids were launched by security forces across 40 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, mostly Kurdish-majority provinces in southeast of the country, against suspected members of the PKK on Monday on the 22nd anniversary of the arrest of the group’s founder Abdullah Ocalan, reported Anadolu Agency (AA) citing a ministry statement.

A total of 718 people, including provincial and district heads of the HDP, were arrested by security forces in addition to the seizure of digital material, added the ministry.

The arrest of 27 PKK suspects were announced earlier in the day in Van province. These people were accused of planning to hold demonstrations, and use stones, molotov cocktails and fireworks, to mark the anniversary of the arrest of Ocalan, according to the police.

The raids took place over the last two days, following the deaths of 13 Turkish nationals, who were members of security forces, held captive in the Kurdistan Region. Turkey claims that these people - abducted by the PKK since 2015 - were killed by the group, while a PKK spokesperson said on Saturday that they were killed by Turkey during its most recent operation in the Region.

The PKK is an armed group fighting for greater political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. Its decades-long war with the Turkish state has resulted in more than 40,000 deaths on both sides.

Turkey has classified the PKK as a terrorist organization. Top Turkish officials have accused the HDP of being the political wing of the PKK, leading to the arrests of scores of their politicians - including former co-chair and parliamentarians - and members in recent years on terror charges. Almost all of the party’s mayors - elected during 2019 elections - have been removed from office and some of them arrested.

The Turkish army launched a fresh operation on the Kurdistan Region’s Mount Gara on Wednesday, dubbed Claw Eagle-2, with the purpose of targeting suspected PKK positions there. The operation was ended on Sunday.

Three Turkish soldiers, including two commanders, were killed and three others injured during the clashes, defense minister Hulusi Akar said on Sunday. He added that 48 PKK members were killed, including three senior ones, and two others were captured alive by Turkey. The PKK has denied the number of their casualties.

Following the news of the deaths of 13 nationals, several Turkish officials and state media outlets renewed their accusations that the HDP has links to the PKK. The HDP, however, has issued a statement offering their condolences to the families of those killed, highlighting their work to secure the releases of hostages.

“We, in the name of Peoples' Democratic Party, express our deepest regret and condolences to the families and loved ones of those 13 people who by no means were capable of protecting themselves against an armed attack and also to others who have lost their lives as a result of this cross-border operation,” read a statement from HDP’s Central Executive Board on Sunday.

“The government is in no position to bring our party to account, on the contrary, the Government itself must be held accountable before the families of the captives and the public,” added the statement.

The HDP also said that they have been struggling to convince the government to secure the release of hostages through dialogue.

“Unfortunately, the government avoided taking on its diplomatic and humanitarian responsibilities to save the lives and ensure the freedom of its own officials who are lost in a military operation without any clear purpose or target.”

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... /150220211

[Anthea]

rudaw.net
Update:
139 HDP officials/members
among recent arrests

Those arrested this week by Turkish security forces for their alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) include 139 officials and members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the party revealed on Wednesday

Turkish security forces announced on Monday the arrest of 718 people across the country for their alleged links to the PKK.

“According to the information provided by the HDP’s Commission on Law Affairs and Human Rights, a total of at least 139 HDP members and executives have been detained in several provinces in the mentioned period,” Feleknas Uca and Hisyar Ozsoy, co-spokespersons of the HDP’s office for foreign affairs, said in a statement released on Wednesday.

They added that the arrests were made in Bursa, Van, Aydin, Diyarbakir, Ankara, Manisa, Mersin, Adana and Istanbul provinces.

“This wave of detentions against our party and democratic institutions has nothing to do with the law. Whenever peace is at stake and the government needs popular nationalist support, it targets the HDP and attacks our members by force,” said the spokespeople.

The PKK is an armed group fighting for greater political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. Ankara has classified the PKK a terrorist organization.

Top Turkish officials have accused the HDP of being the political wing of the PKK, leading to the arrests of scores of their politicians - including former co-chairs and parliamentarians - and members in recent years on terror charges.

Almost all of the party’s mayors - elected during 2019 elections - have been removed from office and some of them arrested. The HDP denies any links to the PKK.

Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde said on Tuesday that her country is “deeply worried” to see the arrests.

The mass arrest campaign followed Turkey’s recent military operation against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeas ... /170220211