European Parliament condemns repression of pro-Kurdish opposition in Turkey

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution strongly condemning the repression of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey.

Turkey's top constitutional court in June accepted the indictment seeking the closure of the HDP.

In the resolution adopted by the majority of the European Parliament, the body strongly condemned the indictment refiled by Turkey's Chief Public Prosecutor at the Constitutional Court.

"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 said.

Members of the European Parliament also denounced the decision made by Turkish authorities to "remove democratically elected (HDP) mayors from office on the basis of questionable evidence and replace them with unelected trustees."

These "actions continue to undermine the ability of the political opposition to exercise their rights and fulfill their democratic roles," the resolution added.

The European body called on Turkey to ensure pluralism and respect for the freedoms of association and expression.

It also urged European delegations to Turkey to monitor the situation by observing trials, including the "Kobanî trial" launched against HDP officials for their role in protests for the Syrian Kurdish city of Kobani, making public statements and requesting permission for prison visits.

The resolution warns that, apart from improvements in foreign policy issues, progress on any positive agenda that could be offered to Turkey by European Union member states should be dependent on improvements in human rights.

A government crackdown on the HDP gained pace in the aftermath of the attempted July 2016 military coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ankara's response has seen over seven thousand people jailed, including the HDP party's co-leader Selahattin Demirtas and 11 other lawmakers.

Demirtas remains jailed despite two European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings in favor of his release.