Department of International Relations & Foreign Affairs SYRIZA Progressive Alliance - Announcement for the ongoing trial against HDP

SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance expresses its deep concern about the General Prosecutor’s proposal to the Supreme Constitutional Court of Turkey regarding the permanent ban of the HDP, the third largest party in the Turkish National Assembly. We believe that the ongoing trial is part of an effort aimed not only at banning the HDP, but at weakening the opposition in general, as evidenced also by the only short postponement (until April 11th) granted by the court.

The political persecutions against the opponents of the current government are aimed at the criminalisation of political action and the intimidation of the opposition, just before the presidential elections. Especially towards the HDP, the current judicial process is the culmination of years of persecutions. Executives of its leadership, MPs, elected local representatives and ordinary members of the party, are imprisoned or in political hostage, with heavy prison sentences.

In a Council of Europe member country, the values of democracy and pluralism should be self-evident. We join those who demand an end to the ongoing politically motivated trial.

SYRIZA Progressive Alliance expresses its solidarity with the struggles of HDP for the conducting of fair and democratic elections and hopes that the Court will not decide to ban its action.