On 11 September 2020, Turkish soldiers detained two villagers in Catak District of Van, namely, Mr Servet Turgut (55), father of 7 children, and Mr Osman Şiban (50), father of 8 children. Families could not get news from them for two days. On 13 September 2020, families were informed that both detainees were under intensive […]
82 more arrests: The onslaught on the HDP continues unabashedly!
The ultranationalist and decisively anti-Kurdish AKP-MHP alliance continues with its onslaught on the HDP under the conditions of a global pandemic. Today we woke up to the news that the chief prosecutor in Ankara issued arrest warrants for 82 more people. So far many of those in the 82-people-list have been detained on the grounds […]
Co-chair Mithat Sancar’s open letter to Robert Spano, the president of the ECtHR.
Dear President Robert Spano, I have learned through the news media of your upcoming visit to Turkey on 3-4 September 2020 with the agenda of receiving an honorary doctorate from Istanbul University on September 3rd and teaching a class at the Turkish Academy of Justice in Ankara on September 4th. As has been frequently noted […]
Decisions on common heritage are political games of the government!
Cornered in all domestic and foreign political matters, unable to manage the economic and social crises, and experiencing a deadlock due to the coronavirus, the AKP-MHP ruling bloc has once again put to misuse historical and cultural assets as a political tool for a way out. Having tried to influence pious people during electoral campaigns […]
Letter to Josep Borrell: Take concrete steps to help end Turkey’s unlawful repression and attacks
In an open letter to Josep Borrel members of the European Parliament called for concrete steps, as economic and targeted sanctions, to help end Turkey’s unlawful repression and attacks: Mr Borrell,We are writing to draw your attention to the repression of democratic political opposition in Turkey, especially the detention of MPs and Mayors from the […]
On the detentions and arrests against the HDP and unlawful closure of the Democratic Society Congress
In a political climate where any criticism of the government is equated with terrorism, incessant detentions and arrests have become routinized means of intimidating the democratic society and politics in Turkey. As the stronghold of the HDP and political center of Kurdish region in Turkey, Diyarbakir is the city that is most targeted by government […]
Civilian Kurds killed in Turkish cross-border attacks in Northern Iraq and Syria
While the Turkish government has been using repressive and militaristic means to suppress any political debate on the Kurdish issue at home since the end of the peace process with the Kurdish movement in 2015, the Turkish army has been carrying out cross-border operations also in Syria and Iraq, killing many Kurdish civilians. Such operations […]
HDP presents its 9-point roadmap to promote democracy
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has presented its highly anticipated roadmap with strategic guidelines against the authoritarian-autocratic state led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The individual steps of this roadmap are summarized in a nine-point plan, which was presented by co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar in Istanbul. In the roadmap, the HDP advocates a democratic start […]
EU: Turkey should repeal measures inhibiting the functioning of local democracy
Statement by EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano issued a statement regarding the latest crackdown on our co-mayors. The statement reads: Decisions and actions taken by the Turkish authorities against municipalities with mayors from opposition parties remain of deep concern, in particular when they appear to be politically motivated. This is […]
HDP Headquarters Report: “The Trustee Regime in Turkey”
On 20 November, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Headquarters in Ankara released a 35-page long report called “The Trustee Regime in Turkey”. We, the HDP Representation office in Europe, provide this short summary. Key findings are that The trustee regime is ultimately a tool of opposition repression by the Turkish government. The practice is a de facto continuation of the state of emergency […]