He was arrested early in the morning at Turkey pro-Kurdish lawmaker Omer Farouk Gergerlioglu from his party’s offices in parliament, where he had spent four nights protesting the removal of his parliamentary seat in a separate case.
The People’s Democratic Party (HDP) said he was wearing pajamas and slippers when police arrested him before his morning prayers in Ankara and released a video and court document detailing the latest allegations against the party.
Turkey’s third-largest party is facing years of repression that escalated on Wednesday when a senior prosecutor called for a ban on alleged links to Kurdish fighters – a charge the HDP denies, calling it a “political coup”.
Hours before the move, parliament had stripped human rights activist Gergerlioglu of his parliamentary capacity and parliamentary immunity for a previous conviction for spreading terrorist propaganda by posting a link to a report on Twitter.
The MP intended to remain closed in the offices in the HDP parliament.
However, police arrested him, according to the court document, in order to take testimony in connection with a new investigation that was launched for alleged slogans that were heard on Wednesday during the movement of party members from the General Assembly to the HDP offices.
The slogan “Long live the leader Apo” was reportedly heard, according to the court document, in an apparent reference to the founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Abdullah Ocalan, who has been in prison since 1999. The PKK has been designated a terrorist organization. from Turkey, the US and the EU.
In the context of the new investigation, the police ruled that Gergerlioglou “continues to act as an MP” and that, illegally, he did not leave a state building, again according to the document.
Turkey’s Western allies have condemned the move to ban the HDP, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AKP party, which has a parliamentary majority alongside nationalists, has defended it. Thousands of Kurds in Turkey rallied in Istanbul on Saturday in support of the HDP.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
