The elections in Turkey will take place on 14 May. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) as a party still does not know whether it will take part in the elections or not because of the politically motivated closure case. This is an attempt to take away the HDP’s right to politics and participation in the elections. This case, initiated by Erdogan’s regime on 17 March 2021 and thus politically motivated, must not lead to a ban on the HDP.

The defence of HDP over the closure case is now scheduled for April 11. The HDP has called for solidarity against the politically motivated closure procedure on 13 March.

In a joint statement published by the French newspaper Humanité, 72 French parliamentarians expressed their solidarity with the HDP.

“While the earthquakes of 6 and 20 February continue to bruise the populations of the South and East of Turkey, the authoritarian manoeuvres of R.T. Erdogan are accelerating, threatening the durability of Turkey’s democratic institutions. Symbolic of this accelerated disintegration, the procedure to ban the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), initiated on 17 March 2021, should be concluded a few weeks before the legislative and presidential elections of May-June 2023. The Constitutional Court in Ankara had set the final hearing of the procedure for 14 March, before postponing it to 11 April,” the statement noted.

“After the serial dismissals of deputies and mayors, the criminalisation of HDP activists during the Kobane trial and the imprisonment of Selahattin Demirtas. R.T. Erdogan thus opens a new chapter in his authoritarian strategy and clearly states his objective: to keep power at all costs by manoeuvring to get rid of the most resolute opponents. By banning the HDP just before the presidential election, Erdogan’s Turkey would be breaking definitively with the rule of law,” said the French parliamentarians.

The statement continued: “Democracy and the right to vote are fundamental values that we defend with conviction. Banning the HDP would mean that a party democratically chosen by several million voters would no longer be able to participate in political life. We believe in the ability of the people to decide their future through the ballot box, which is why we are outraged by this trial, which constitutes a flagrant violation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).”

“As French parliamentarians, we support the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), which is targeted by repression and threatened in its legal existence. In order for pluralism to live on in Turkey, it is essential that the social project defended by the HDP can continue to be embodied. The Peoples’ Democratic Party has clearly stated its position in favour of social progress, ecology and women’s emancipation. It respects the ethnic and religious differences that allow people to live together, beliefs that we fully share.

We solemnly demand the immediate cessation of this procedure, as well as the end of all persecution against this political party, its activists, its elected representatives and its leaders, starting with its two co-presidents, Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar,” said the French MPs who “call on the Government of France, a major partner and ally of Turkey within NATO, to denounce this procedure at the highest level. Turkey is a great country, democratic rights must be protected there. French parliamentarians, this is the meaning of our commitment.”

Signatures:

Ségolène Amiot, Députée (LFI) de Loire-Atlantique ; Cathy Apourceau-Poly, Sénatrice (PCF) du Pas-de-Calais ; Viviane Artigalas, Sénatrice (PS) des Hautes-Pyrénées ; Eliane Assassi, Sénatrice (PCF) de la Seine-Saint-Denis ; Jérémy Bacchi, Sénateur (PCF) des Bouches-du-Rhône ; Marie-Noëlle Battistel, Députée (PS) de l’Isère ; Esther Benbassa, Sénatrice de Paris ; Florence Blatrix-Contat, Sénatrice (PS) de l’Ain ; Éric Bocquet, Sénateur (PCF) du Nord ; Denis Bouad, Sénateur (PS) du Gard ; Hussein Bourgi, Sénateur (PS) de l’Hérault ; Soumya Bourouaha, Députée (PCF) de la Seine-Saint-Denis ; Céline Brulin, Sénatrice (PCF) de la Seine-Maritime; Marie-Arlette Carlotti, Sénatrice (PS) des Bouches-du-Rhône ; Yan Chantrel, Sénateur (PS) des Français-es établi-es hors de France ; André Chassaigne, Député (PCF) du Puy-de-Dôme ; Laurence Cohen, Sénatrice (PCF) du Val-de-Marne ; Hélène Conway-Mouret, Sénatrice (PS) des Français-es établi-es hors de France ; Thierry Cozic, Sénateur (PS) de la Sarthe ; Cécile Cukierman, Sénatrice (PCF) de la Loire ; Gilbert-Luc Devinaz, Sénateur (PS) du Rhône ; Pierre Dharréville, Député (PCF) des Bouches-du-Rhône ; Jérôme Durain, Sénateur (PS) de la Saône-et-Loire ; Elsa Faucillon, Députée (PCF) des Hauts-de-Seine ; Rémi Féraud, Sénateur (PS) de Paris ; Emmanuel Fernandes, Député (LFI) du Bas-Rhin ; Jean-Luc Fichet, Sénateur (PS) du Finistère ; Martine Filleul, Sénatrice (PS) du Nord ; Fabien Gay, Sénateur (PCF) de la Seine-Saint-Denis ; Hervé Gillé, Sénateur (PS) de la Gironde ; Michelle Gréaume, Sénatrice (PCF) du Nord ; Laurence Harribey, Sénatrice (PS) de la Gironde ; Annie le Houérou, Sénatrice (PS) des Côtes-d’Armor ; Gisèle Jourda, Sénatrice (PS) de l’Aude ; Patrick Kanner, Sénateur (PS) du Nord ; Éric Kerrouche, Sénateur (PS) des Landes ; Gérard Lahellec, Sénateur (PCF) des Côtes d’Armor ; Pierre Laurent, Sénateur (PCF) de Paris ; Jean-Paul Lecoq, Député (PCF) de la Seine-Maritime ; Marie-Noelle Lienemann, Sénatrice (GRS) de Paris ; Jean-Jacques Lozach, Sénateur (PS) de la Creuse ; Monique Lubin, Sénatrice (PS) des Landes ; Victorin Lurel, Sénateur (PS) de la Guadeloupe ; Didier Marie, Sénateur (PS) de la Seine-Maritime ; Pascale Martin, Députée (LFI) de la Dordogne ; Serge Merillou, Sénateur (PS) de la Dordogne ; Michelle Meunier, Sénatrice (PS) de la Loire-Atlantique ; Marie-Pierre Monier, Sénatrice (PS) de la Drôme ; Yannick Monnet, Député (PCF) de l’Allier ; Franck Montaugé, Sénateur (PS) du Gers ; Pierre Ouzoulias, Sénateur (PCF) des Hauts-de-Seine ; Stéphane Peu, Député (PCF) de la Seine-Saint-Denis ; Sébastien Pla, Sénateur (PS) de l’Aude ; Marie Pochon, Députée (EELV) de la Drôme ; Thomas Portes, Député (LFI) de la Seine-Saint-Denis ; Christian Redon-Sarrazy, Sénateur (PS) de la Haute-Vienne ; Sylvie Robert, Sénatrice (PS) d’Ille-et-Vilaine ; Gilbert Roger, Sénateur (PS) de la Seine-Saint-Denis ; Fabien Roussel, Député (PCF) du Nord ; Nicolas Sansu, Député (PCF) du Cher ; Isabelle Santiago, Députée (PS) du Val-de-Marne ;  Pascal Savoldelli, Sénateur (PCF) du Val-de-Marne ; Lucien Stanzione, Sénateur (PS) de Vaucluse ; Aurélien Taché, Député (EELV) du Val-d’Oise ; Rachid Temal, Sénateur (PS) du Val-d’Oise ; Jean-Marc Tellier, Député (PCF) du Pas-de-Calais ; Jean-Marc Todeschini, Sénateur (PS) de la Moselle ; Mickael Vallet, Sénateur (PS) de la Charente-Maritime ; André Vallini, Sénateur (PS) de l’Isère ; Marie-Claude Varaillas, Sénatrice (PCF) de la Dordogne ; Yannick Vaugrenard, Sénateur (PS) de la Loire-Atlantique ; Hubert Wulfranc, Député (PCF) de la Seine Maritime.

Source: https://www.humanite.fr