European Parliament condemns repression of Turkish opposition, especially HDP

The European Parliament on July 8 adopted a resolution strongly condemning the repression of Turkish opposition parties, especially the HDP. Highlighting the hostile environment opposition leaders are facing in Turkey, MEPs said they were "deeply concerned" about the "continued erosion of democracy and the rule of law, in violation of the Copenhagen criteria."

Friday July 09 2021 12:44 pm

A HDP supporter waves the party's flags in this file photo.

Duvar English

The European Parliament on July 8 adopted a resolution strongly condemning the repression of opposition parties in Turkey, especially the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

The resolution named "The repression of the opposition in Turkey, specifically HDP" was adopted by 603 votes in favor, 2 against and 67 abstentions.

MEPs strongly slammed the closure case launched against the HDP by the Turkish Court of Cassation's chief public prosecutor.

"The case against the HDP is the culmination of a years-long crackdown which has seen thousands of party members, executives, MPs, local councilors and co-mayors tried, mainly on terrorism-related charges," the resolution read.

The resolution recalled that Deniz Poyraz, an employee and member of the HDP, was murdered in the party’s office in the Aegean province of İzmir on June 17.

The resolution also condemned the decisions to strip HDP MPs Leyla Güven, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu and Musa Farisoğulları of their parliamentary seats and immunity, and their subsequent arrests.

MEPs stressed that the oppression is not limited to the HDP, but also other parties such as Republican People's Party (CHP) and İYİ (Good) Party.

The European Parliament is "deeply concerned about the gradually increasing pressure on" the CHP and its leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, including the threats made publicly against him and the physical attacks on him, the resolution said.

The CHP leader's prosecution for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for which he faces a sentence of up to four years, raises "serious concern," the resolution read.

Highlighting the general hostile environment opposition leaders are facing in Turkey, MEPs recalled that İYİ Party leader Meral Akşener was recently verbally attacked in a visit to the Black Sea province of Rize by supporters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The resolution stressed that Turkish authorities' implementations "continue to undermine the ability of the political opposition to exercise their rights and fulfill their democratic roles."

The European Parliament "is deeply concerned by this serious backsliding on the freedom of the opposition parties to function, which reveals the dire human rights situation in Turkey and the continued erosion of democracy and the rule of law, in violation of the Copenhagen criteria," it said.

Turkey slammed the resolution arguing it is "a new example of the EP's [European Parliament] ideological and biased stance, detached from reality."

"Just like the others, this current resolution of the EP, will not contribute to the betterment of Turkey-EU relations but only serve the interests of those circles working to bring Turkey-EU relations to a deadlock," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on July 9.