Demirtaş's HDP membership 'dropped over ban from politics'

The party membership of former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş was dropped over his ongoing ban from politics, daily Birgün reported. Demirtaş, who has been in jail for over three years, is no longer a member of the HDP due to a case that he was charged with "making propaganda of a terrorist organization." The judgement was later reversed, but his party membership had already been dropped by then, the daily said.

Thursday February 06 2020 07:05 pm

Duvar English

The party membership of former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş was reportedly dropped over his ongoing ban from politics.

Demirtaş, who was arrested on Nov. 4, 2016 on charges linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), is no longer a member of the HDP due to a case that he was charged with "making propaganda of a terrorist organization," daily Birgün reported on Feb. 6.

The judgement was later reversed, but his party membership had already been dropped by then, the daily said, adding that his lawyers haven't applied for the removal of his ban on politics.

Demirtaş was expected to be elected to the party assembly in a congress that's set to be held on Feb. 23 in the capital Ankara with an exception of the rule that doesn't allow individuals to become candidates for more than two terms in a row.

The HDP is currently co-chaired by Pervin Buldan and Sezai Temelli, who will become candidates for the role once again in the congress.