Senators Josu Estarrona and Gorka Elejabarrieta tabled a question to the Spanish Foreign Minister about the situation in Kurdistan and Turkey.

The question reads: "Turkey holds local elections on this coming 31 March 2024. In the previous presidential and legislative elections held in the country last year 2023, Turkey arrested 126 pro-Kurdish activists, journalists and lawyers.

In those elections, the European Union urged Turkey to address electoral shortcomings in the face of massive allegations of irregularities, and the Spanish Foreign Ministry filed a complaint with Ankara about expelling a Spanish delegation a day after the OSCE drew attention to the pro-Erdoğan media bias."

The question underlines that "the rights that have deteriorated the most and that Amnesty International repeatedly reports on in its reports are those related to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association, adding that the climate of repression is increasing with threats, persecution and judicial proceedings for unfounded convictions.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounces that the Turkish government takes care to make it appear that it is not a country that restricts press freedom, but at the same time, it has prisons with journalists falsely accused and does not allow them to be counted as imprisoned journalists.

RSF is particularly concerned about the Kurdish press and the repression of those who cover these issues. Finally, Human Rights Watch has repeatedly denounced the Ankara government's unjustified use of anti-terrorism laws to imprison Kurdish activists and protesters.

In view of the local elections to be held this coming March 31, 2024, we submit the following questions to the Government."

The senators asked the minister to answer the following questions in writing:

"Is the Government aware of the harassment and the strategy of repression of the Turkish Government, against activists, journalists and democratic political options, and especially against the Kurdish people in general?

Is the Human Rights Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation going to participate directly in any Electoral Observation Mission in the next local elections to be held in Turkey on March 31, 2024?

Is the Government aware of the participation of the EU, the OSCE or the Organization of American States (OAS), the main international organizations conducting Election Observation Missions in the upcoming local elections to be held in Turkey on 31 March 2024?"