Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson has called for the immediate release of eleven Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs arrested by Turkish security forces on November 4.

Anderson described the mass arrest of MPs from Turkey’s third largest parliamentary party, including its two co-chairs, as an attack on democracy designed to silence the main voice of opposition. Anderson remarked that the reasons for their arrests are spurious and they set a dangerous precedent for the future of democracy in Turkey.

"Since July last year the Turkish state has been engaging in a merciless military campaign against its own Kurdish population, including mass detention, military curfews, shoot-to-kill, and military bombardment of civilian areas. The situation in Turkey is now deteriorating rapidly, with the government escalating its crackdown on journalists, independent media, judges and civil society. Sadly, but understandably, the HDP has now declared that it will cease its parliamentary activities in response to the ongoing persecution."

Anderson called on the Turkish government to immediately release the eleven MPs and all other HDP representatives that have been detained, and to end the attacks on democratic politics and freedom of expression.

Anderson stressed that the EU and international community cannot remain silent in the face of this repression, and must act immediately to ensure the immediate release of the HDP MPs.