Release decision has been issued for Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Şırnak MP Ferhat Encü who was imprisoned since November 4 in the scope of an investigated launched by Şırnak Public Prosecutor's Office, in which up to 22 year prison sentence is sought for him.

Following the announcement of the court decision, a HDP group including MP Hüda Kaya went to Kandıra F Type Closed Prison to greet him during release, welcoming him with flowers.

In a short statement in front of the prison after his release, Encü said they could not feel happy for their release while the other party members are still behind bars, including HDP co-chairs and deputies, nearly 70 mayors and numerous administrators and members of the party in line with a political decision.

Encü said: “The ongoing imprisonment of HDP officials is actually a manifestation of how much the judiciary of Turkey is dependent on the government. Their efforts to render us ineffective during the referendum process clearly shows that they want to get a 'Yes' outcome from the referendum through a repression and imprisonment of our people. We demand that all this nonsense end and our party members be released immediately, that the country live in peace and all the ethnic communities live together. This is what we are fighting for.

We are here due to a political decision. An examination of our case files will reveal that we have been held captive only because we stood by our people. We fear no one. We want the country to attain peace in the soonest time. We thank everyone that did not leave us alone during the jail time, all those from Turkey and Europe that sent us messages of solidarity, all our people and all the non-governmental organizations that stood by us. Their resistance became our resistance in jail.”