The Turkish Constitutional Court will hear an appeal by the HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) against its exclusion from state party funding next Thursday. At the beginning of January, the country's highest court had made the internationally sharply criticised decision to cut off financial aid to the second largest opposition party for the time being because of accusations of "links to terrorism". As a result, the HDP lost access to 27 million euros, a third of which should have been paid out a few days after the judges' vote.

The HDP had described the exclusion from state party funding as "targeted sabotage" to prevent fair and democratic elections. In response, a fundraising campaign was initiated under the name "Our treasury is our people". The campaign, which started with donations from the HDP parliamentary group, has generated widespread participation.

The HDP is also currently the subject of banning proceedings, also on the basis of alleged "terrorist" activities. The Constitutional Court intends to issue a ruling in the case before the parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for 14 May. An application by the HDP for a stay of the ban proceedings had been rejected at the end of January. The court had ordered the party's written defence within two weeks and set a date for the first oral hearing which is set to take place on 14 March.