Turkey: Demirtas Message to Germany on Human Rights Pressure in Ankara

THE Selahattin Demirtas, a pro-Kurdish politician who has been imprisoned for five years in Turkey, called its next government Germany to put pressure on Ankara to the latter improve its human rights performance.

“I hope that the new German government will pursue policies that are more closely linked to European values ​​and human rights,” Demirtas told the German news agency. Recep Tayyip Erdogan does not represent the whole of Turkey.

The former leader of the pro-Kurdish HDP party was arrested in 2016 on terrorism-related charges. Demirtas is facing numerous trials in Turkish courts. Among other things, he is being tried in the context of the so-called trial of Kompani together with 107 other defendants, as reported by APE-MPE. Among other things, they are accused of “destroying the unity of the state and the integrity of the country” in connection with the protests in Kompani.

The HDP had called in 2014 for demonstrations against the siege of the Syrian Kurdish city of Kombani by Islamic State jihadists. The demonstrations had taken a violent turn resulting in the killing of people.

Demirtas also referred to the ongoing trial for a possible HDP ban, saying “it is not possible for there to be a fair trial and a legal verdict”.

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