The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Central Committee issued a written statement on the arrest of Deputy Co-chair Alp Altınörs.

The statement pointed out that Altınörs attending the funeral of Zakir Karabulut, who lost his life in the massacre of October 10, 2015 in Ankara, was cited as a reason for arrest and expressed that this was a blow against the democratic politics. The statement is as follows:

“The perpetrators haven’t been brought to light and with every passing day, and with new documents coming to light, the possibility grows stronger that the massacre was supported by the state. The actual culprits of the October 10 Ankara Massacre should be tried, but that hasn’t happened. Instead of that, politicians attending the victims’ funerals are put on trial, the October 10 Ankara attack is kept in the dark, the proposed research commission on the subject is rejected by AKP votes. The anonymous witness in Alp Altınörs’ arrest and these baseless accusations and fictitious excuses are produced by a mindset we know very well.”

“WE ARE EXPECTING A RETURN FROM A FAULT”

HDP condemned the decision and said: “The people will always be in the center of our democratic politics. We will continue our struggle until those who deal with politics against the people and those who unlawfully abuse the authority they take from the people are put on trial. We are expecting an immediate end to these unjust and unlawful arrests and thus a return from this fault.”

HDP Central Committee member and Deputy Co-chair In Charge of Expansion Alp Altınörs had been detained in a house raid on the night of September 9, and was abruptly taken to the court and arrested today in another midnight operation.

DEMİRTAŞ: HE IS OUR HONOR

HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş also protested Altınörs’ arrest over his twitter account and said: “Alp Altınörs is a dignified revolutionary with his head held high. He is not a thief, he is not a lowlife, he is not an enemy of the people, he is our honor.”