Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Deputy Co-President issued a written statement on the arrests of Co-Presidents and parliamentarians. In her statement, Tuğluk recalled that 13 HDP members had been detained and 10 of them had been arrested in an unlawful way against the integrity of the law, put in solitary confinement, kept away from legislative efforts, and prevented from sending notes and speeches to party group meetings.

Tuğluk gave the statement Bingöl Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had made regarding the accusation against the HDP Group Deputy Chairperson İdris Baluken who was accused of ‘disrupting the unity and integrity of the state, membership to an armed organization, propagating for an organization, and participating in illegal meetings and rallies’ as an example of unlawful prosecution of HDP parliamentarians. Tuğluk recalled that participating in press briefings and rallies is clearly not a crime for a politician, whose duty is to offer solution proposals to the problems experienced in this country. Tuğluk emphasized that the operation against HDP parliamentarians is not a legal but a political operation, and the parliamentarians are kept in jail with the claims that they have carried out ‘serious’ crimes in order to justify the ongoing witch-hunt, even though they should be set free immediately. Tuğluk said “If you examine the contents of their cases, you see that all of the accusations are related to the use of the freedoms of expression and mobilization. This holds true also in the case of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Co-Mayor Gültan Kışanak, for whom a sentence of 230 years is sought.”

'PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT OPERATION CONTINUES'

HDP Deputy Co-President Aysel Tuğluk emphasized that the government continues its perception manipulation operation in order to prevent public indignation, but noted that both the international agreements that Turkey has signed so far and the national law could not view and treat HDP politicians’ acts as criminal.

'END THIS ECLIPSE OF REASON AND CONSCIENCE'

Tuğluk said "Our Co-Presidents, parliamentarians, Co-Mayors and other politicians are being held in prison for their politics that are not in line with the agenda of the government and their support to political steps that favor peace as opposed to war and conflict.

Tuğluk highlighted that AKP officials’ statements on the issue constitute ‘an attempt to influence fair prosecution,’ and judges and prosecutors carry out the detainment, arrest and prosecution of HDP parliamentarians in a way that has nothing to do with the principle of fair trial.

Lastly, Tuğluk announced that they would take all national and international measures including applications to the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors, and demanded an immediate end to this eclipse of reason and conscience and the release of HDP politicians.