PodcastTurkish bar associations object top court ruling to freeze HDP bank accounts
Fifteen Turkish bar associations have released a joint statement, deeming the Constitutional Court’s ruling to freeze the HDP's bank account “unconstitutional.”
Duvar English
Fifteen bar associations in Turkey have released a joint statement, objecting to the Constitutional Court’s (AYM) ruling to block Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) bank accounts holding Treasury aid.
The AYM ruled on Jan. 5 to block HDP’s bank accounts as it continues hearing a case seeking the party's closure over alleged PKK ties. The move came ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections that are set to be held by June
Bar associations deemed the decision “unconstitutional” and called for a reversal.
The statement said the court can ultimately decide to close a party or block its bank accounts according to the Constitution, but cannot decide on the latter while the case is still ongoing.
“It is seen that this decision made by the Constitutional Court at a time when our country entered the election year also has the potential to be evaluated as the intervention of the high court in the elections and democratic politics,” it said.
Adıyaman, Ağrı, Batman, Bingöl, Bitlis, Dersim, Diyarbakır, Hakkari, Kars, Mardin, Muş, Siirt, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak and Van bar associations released the statement.
The Constitutional Court accepted the indictment against the HDP in June 2021 after a years-long crackdown under Erdoğan's rule in which thousands of HDP members have been tried on mainly terrorism-related charges.
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