The new Turkey |
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30-Sep-2020 |
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24 September 2020: Demirtaş’s previous remarks about Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Yüksel Kocaman, who recently made headlines for visiting President Erdoğan following his wedding, were held as the grounds for the accusation in the new indictment, which seeks up to 8 years in prison for Demirtaş on the charges of “threatening,” “targeting public officials involved in the fight against terrorism.”
Demirtaş appeals to ECHR Grand Chamber over November rulingJailed pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker Selahattin Demirtaş has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) Grand Chamber over what he says are the unfavourable points in the court’s November ruling calling for his release , pro Kurdish Firat News Agency (ANF) reported. Demirtaş submitted the appeal through his lawyers and requested a re-evaluation of the unfavourable points pertaining a number of issues having to do with Turkey’s interpretation and implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and a ruling on Turkey’s noncompliance with the European court’s ruling, ANF said. Read the full article HDP Denounces Prison Sentences Given to Demirtaş, Önder
 Top figures from the People's Democratic Party (HDP) have made comments after the prison sentences given to the party's former Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş and former Ankara MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder have been upheld. HDP Co-Chair Sezai Temelli said, "Injustice spreads everywhere in this country. We are facing injustice again" in a press statement in Hatay province. The party's Spokesperson Saruhan Oluç stated, "Erdoğan said, 'We make our move, get the job done'. And this is the move", reminding President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's words on a ruling by ECtHR, which urges Turkey to release Demirtaş from arrest. Before ECtHR verdict comes into force, authorities in Turkey sentenced Demirtaş to prison for a different case. Demirtaş is now in prison as a convict, not an arrestee. Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who has been on trial in the same case, went to prison today (December 6) 'Judges should wear AKP badges' Temelli, criticizing the judiciary because of the rulings, said, "This trial process in itself shows what kind of injustice this country has found itself in. Judiciary itself disregarded the law, violated existing legislation. The court committed a crime. "This is not punishment, this is vengeance. This is the violence of the government against those who defend democracy and peace. The government made the courts its accomplices. Judges now must put AKP (Justice and Development Party) badges on their gowns. From now on, they are campaign runners, employees of a political party." HDP Spokesperson Saruhan Oluç also said, "Demirtaş was sentenced unjustly. He wasn't released despite the ECtHR ruling. What happened shows that the judiciary is working in a chain of command relationship with the government. Both district and superior courts gave their verdicts in accordance with the orders from the palace." (AS/VK) Source Erdoğan rejects European court’s 'non-binding' decision over Demirtaş
The court called on Turkey to release Demirtaş, saying his detention since 2016 on terror charges was aimed at "stifling pluralism". Demirtaş, one of two former co-leaders of the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), was arrested in November 2016 over his alleged links to the illegal PKK.At the time of his arrest he was a member of parliament. Read the full article 7 September 2018: Former head of Turkey pro-Kurdish party sentenced to 4 years in prison for terrorist propaganda: CNN Turk
A Turkish court on Friday sentenced the former head of the pro-Kurdish opposition to more than four years in jail on terrorism charges, broadcaster CNN Turk said, marking the first conviction for Selahattin Demirtas after 23 months in prison. On Friday, the court sentenced Demirtas to four years and eight months for carrying out terrorist propaganda at a speech in 2013, when the government was holding peace talks with Kurdish militants for a ceasefire. The court also sentenced Sirri Sureyya Onder, a former lawmaker from Demirtas’ People’s Democratic Party (HDP), to three years and six months in prison on the same charges, CNN Turk said. President Tayyip Erdogan accuses Demirtas and the HDP of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has carried out a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state. Both Demirtas and the HDP have denied the accusations of being linked to the PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and United States. In June, while campaigning for re-election in presidential elections, Erdogan called Demirtas a terrorist and said he was responsible for the deaths of Kurdish civilians during unrest three years ago. Demirtas, a former human rights lawyer, ran against Erdogan in the elections, and campaigned from prison, largely through social media. After having won votes beyond his core Kurdish constituency in previous elections, Demirtas failed to mount a significant challenge to Erdogan in June, winning 8.40 percent of votes against Erdogan’s 52.59 percent. However, his HDP remains the second-largest opposition party in Turkey’s newly restructured 600-member parliament. Erdogan’s ruling AK Party and their nationalist MHP allies hold the majority. Source Court rules for continued imprisonment of Kurdish politician DemirtaşThe Ankara 19th High Criminal Court on Tuesday ruled for a continuation of the imprisonment of Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been in jail since November 2016 on charges of serving as an executive of a terrorist organization. Demirtaş attended the hearing via video conference, and his lawyers were not present in the courtroom. After reading new evidence added to Demirtaş’s file, the judge asked for his defense, but Demirtaş said he would prefer to make a statement when he and his lawyers are present in the courtroom. The next hearing will be held on Oct. 3.
Court rules to keep former HDP co-chair Demirtaş in prison
The last hearing of Demirtaş’s trial in which he is charged with leading a terrorist organization was held at the Ankara 19th High Criminal Court on Wednesday. Demirtaş, who has been in pre-trial detention at Edirne Prison since November 2016, did not appear at the hearing, which was attended by his lawyers, some HDP deputies and family members. Demirtaş’s lawyers asked for the release of their client, objecting to the prosecutor’s opinion that there is strong evidence showing Demirtaş committed the crimes he is accused of and that he presents a flight risk. The court rejected the lawyers’ request for Demirtaş’s release and ruled to keep him in jail. The trial was adjourned until Aug. 28 and 29. Demirtaş was the HDP’s co-chairperson when he was jailed on Nov. 4, 2016 along with several other party deputies as well as the party’s other co-chairperson, Figen Yüksekdağ. He was the HDP’s presidential candidate for the June 24 snap presidential election and lost the race against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was elected to the top state post again garnering 52 percent of the vote. Demirtaş was not released from prison during the campaigning period and had to conduct his election campaign from prison. |
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Presidential candidate jailed in Turkey could be “Kurdish Mandela” – analyst |
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The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has rejected a decision by the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights calling for the release of 
A Turkish high criminal court has decided to keep former pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairperson Selahattin Demirtaş in prison during a trial in which he faces terror charges.
