Lifting the legislative immunities of HPD members is a coup against the will of peoples and the consolidation of one-man rule On May 20th, 2016, under extreme pressure of President Erdoğan, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT) lifted the parliamentary immunity of 138 lawmakers through a provisional Constitutional amendment. This became possible with the […]
Category: news
Eyyup Doru – Official meetings in Navarre and Basque Country
The representative of the HDP in Europe Eyyup Doru conducted a series of visits to the Basque Country and Navarre on May 18, 19 and 20. The validation of the law intended to withdraw parliamentary immunity of HDP members in the Parliament of Turkey and the alarming situation of the ongoing civil war in the […]
MEP call on members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey not to support the amendment
“SILENCING OPPOSITION IS NOT THE WAY TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS” We, the undersigned members of the European Parliament, are deeply concerned about the recent amendment on the lifting of the legislative immunity of 129 members of parliament out of 550. The way it is presented in the public opinion by the government representatives proves […]
PES deeply concerned about unconstitutional move to strip Turkish MPs off immunity
The Party of European Socialists is deeply concerned about the upcoming vote at the Parliament General Assembly in Turkey to lift the immunity of the members of the Turkish Parliament. We consider the measure to be a new attempt to crack down on the opposition and as directly targeting the HDP party, which an associated […]
European parliamentarians address letter concerning the immunity vote in Turkey
Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, Brussels, May 13 2016, Dear presidents, dear Prime Minister, dear high […]
Statement concerning the arrest of DBP's co-Chair Kamuran Yüksek
Kamuran Yüksek’s arrest cannot dishearten us Mr. Kamuran Yüksek, co-Chair of Democratic Regions Party (DBP) has been arrested after an unlawful process of detention. Yüksek’s arrest on frivolous grounds citing speeches he made at party and public meetings, in other words because he expressed his thoughts and ideas is nothing but politically targeted policy of […]
Eyyup Doru – Statement on the constitutional committee's vote
Dear Friends, As you already know, the immunity of the HDP deputies is about to be lifted by the coalition of the other three parties, the AKP, CHP and MHP. The constitutional committee of the Parliament of Turkey has already voted for and trasferred the motion to the plenary session. As it was circulated on […]
S&D MEP Kati Piri and Knut Fleckenstein call on members of parliament not to support amendment
Following the vote in the Turkish Parliamentary Commission on Monday approving a law to remove parliamentary immunity from nearly a quarter of the country’s lawmakers, the S&D Group expresses its deep concern about the state of democracy in Turkey. The decision would amend the Turkish constitution with a temporary clause which could remove protection from […]
HDP's co-Chairs statement on the lifting of legislative immunity
Turkey is rapidly moving away from democracy and the rule of law due to President Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s increasing authoritarian policies – particularly with respect to the Kurdish issue. At multiple platforms we have expressed grave concerns that such antidemocratic policies are dragging the country into political violence, social […]
Eyyup Doru – Meeting with AFET Chair Elmar Brok
Mr. Elmar Brok, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, met today with Mr. Eyyup Doru, HDP Representative in Europe. Mr. Doru brought to Mr. Brok a letter from Mr. Selahattin Demirtas and Ms. Figen Yüksekdağ, HDP co-chairs. In their letter, the HDP co-Chairs express their grave concern about recent discussions in Turkey aiming […]
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights – Denounce the deteriation of Human rights in Turkey
“Respect for human rights has deteriorated at an alarming speed in recent months in the context of Turkey’s fight against terrorism” said Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights at the end of a nine- day visit to Istanbul, Diyarbakir and Ankara. The topics of the visit were balancing security and human […]
EP Socialist-Democrat Group Chair and European United Left Group Chair called upon the EU to take action for the solution of the Kurdish question.
European Parliament (EP) Socialist-Democrat Group Chair Gianni Pittella and European United Left Group Chair Gabriella Zimmer have called on EU Council and Commission officials. Pittella said “We want the Kurdish question in Turkey to reach a just, peaceful and sustainable solution. The EU Council and Commission should also take responsibility as the Kurdish question is […]
HDP delegation – Visit Berlin
An HDP committee headed by co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş have held a series of visits with German political parties and democratic groups in Germany’s capital Berlin. Amed Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayor Gültan Kışanak, HDP Foreign Affair Chair and Bingöl MP Hişyar Özsoy and HDP Europe representative Eyüp Doru were also taking part in the committee. The topics of […]
Eyyup Doru – Visit Château-Renault
The representative of the HDP in Europe Eyyup Doru was a special guest of Michel Cosnier, mayor of Chateau-Renault in the municipality of the department of Indre-et-Loire, in central France Loire’s Valley, as part of a evening dedicated to the Kurdish new year. During the reception in the city hall, the mayor said: “When I […]
HDP deputies letter about the round-the-clock “curfews” in Kurdish provinces of Turkey
To Whom It May Concern, The round-the-clock “curfews” (read: indefinite military siege of entire settlements) in Kurdish cities of Turkey since August 2015 continue with full force, which is a clear violation of the Turkish law and Constitution. As of March 23, 2016, sixty-one “curfews” were declared in 7 cities and 21 towns for […]
Press conference in the European Parliament on AKP's massacres
Osman Baydemir, HDP’s deputy for Urfa, Batman deputy Ali Atalan and HDP European Parliament Representative Faik Yağızay held a press conference in the EP together with the Left Group. Marie-Christine Vergiat from the Kurdish Friendship Group in the European Parliament, Takis Hadjigeorgiou, co-chair of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, and Spanish MP […]
Monitoring Committee expresses serious concern at recent developments in Turkey
Meeting in Paris on 9 March 2016, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) expresses its serious concern at recent developments in Turkey with respect to restrictions on media freedom and access to pluralistic information, challenges to the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the erosion of the rule […]
PES Pre-Council meeting – Press release
EU Turkey cooperation is vital, Ankara should respect human rights European Socialist leaders met today to discuss developments in the situation regarding refugees and relations between the EU and Turkey. They were joined by Selahattin Demirtas, People’s Democratic Party’s leader – one of the PES Member Parties in Turkey -, and Eyyup Doru, european representative […]
Presidents from four groups at the EP addressed a letter to Mogherini concerning the situation in Kurdish region
March 03, 2016 Dear HR/VP Mogherini, We write to you regarding the escalation of violence in the context of the conflict between the Turkish security forces and the PKK in the south-east of Turkey, which has already caused more than a hundred civilian deaths. We are deeply concerned that the current climate of violence […]
Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ call upon international institutions to act for Sur
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş have written a letter to the Secretariat General of the United Nations, UN-affiliated institutions, all parliaments and Presidency of the European Parliament, European Commission, Secretariat General of the Organization For Security and Cooperation in Europe, embassies and political parties abroad. HDP co-chairs called upon all […]