Top Turkish court lifts decision to freeze HDP bank accounts ahead of elections
Turkey's Constitutional Court has lifted its previous decision to freeze the HDP's bank accounts containing Treasury financial aid. The move comes ahead of the elections which are expected to be held on May 14.
Duvar English
Turkey's Constitutional Court (AYM) on March 9 lifted its previous ruling to block Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) bank accounts holding Treasury aid, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
On the same day, the court also postponed the date of HDP’s defense for the case from March 14 to April 11 upon the party’s request.
The move came ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections that are expected to be held on May 14.
The court on Jan. 5 ruled to block HDP’s bank accounts holding Treasury aid as it continued hearing a case seeking the party's closure over alleged militant ties.
The court on March 9 lifted its Jan. 5-dated decision by a majority of votes of eight members against seven,
A prosecutor filed the case against the HDP in March 2021, seeking the ban over alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. The HDP denies such links.
The Constitutional Court accepted the indictment against the HDP in June 2021 after a years-long crackdown under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's rule in which thousands of HDP members have been tried on mainly terrorism-related charges.