Kurdistan Presidency, parties react to HDP Co-chairs, MPs arrests

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Presidency of the Kurdistan Region on Friday, along with the Kurdish parties in the Region, expressed concern over the arrests of pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-chairs and MPs.

“The decision of arresting both HDP Co-chairs and several MPs of the party by the Turkish government is a concern for us,” the Kurdistan Region Presidency (KRP) statement read.

Additionally, the report mentioned such decisions might deepen the issues and situation in the area.

The KRP also hoped the conflict would be solved and the HDP Co-chairs and MPs would be freed along with other political prisoners “because it is not in the interest of stability, social and political co-existence.”

Moreover, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and Gorran (Change) Movement political bureaus released statements condemning the arrest of the Kurdish leaders and MPs.

The PUK and Gorran group called on the Turkish government to release the detained as soon as possible.

Turkey arrested the joint leaders of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition party Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag along with at least nine other Kurdish MPs of the party.

Both leaders had been accused of spreading propaganda for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters who have waged war against the Turkish state for decades.

The detained included Sirnak MPs Ferhat Encu and Leyla Birlik, Hakkari MPs Selma Irmak and Abdullah Zeydan, Diyarbakir MPs Idris Baluken, Nursel Aydogan, and Ziya Pir, Ankara MP Sirri Sureyya Onder, and Mardin MP Gulser Yildirim.

The PKK are labeled as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union, and the United States.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany