This July 15, 2016, Turkey faced a coup attempted that was quickly controlled, but nevertheless left 265 dead and about 1440 injured. At the same time, about 8,000 police officers and soldiers have been detained, and more than 7,000 civil servants, including a considerable number of judges and prosecutors, have been dismissed. This failed military […]
Category: communique
Letter from EUROPA NOSTRA to UNESCO concerning the Ongoing Destructions of Cultural Heritage in South-East Turkey
The Hague, 8 July 2016 Mrs Irina Bokova Director General UNESCO Destructions of cultural heritage in South-East Turkey Dear Madam Director General, Europa Nostra, the European Federation of Cultural Heritage Organisations which maintains close and fruitful relations with the European Union and UNESCO, is deeply concerned about the armed conflicts in the South East of […]
Urgent Call of the HDP for Devastating War in Lice
President Erdoğan and AKP government’s politics of war in the Kurdish provinces of the country since July 2015 have reached alarming proportions. Unlawful round-the-clock curfews and military operations continue to harm the civilian population and ecology of the region. The heavy damage that last week’s forest fires and the so-called security measures inflicted on the […]
HDP delegation meeting with Council of Europe officials in Strasbourg.
The HDP delegation has continued its series of talks in Strasbourg where they met Council of Europe officials. Selahattin Demirtas, co-president of the People’s Democratic Party, the HDP deputy for Şırnak Leyla Birlik, the HDP deputy for Bingöl HDP Hişyar Özsöy, the european representative of the HDP in Europe Eyyup Doru and Faik Yağızay had […]
Eyyup Doru – Statement on the immunity lift
DEPUTIES PROTECT DEPUTIES: APPEAL TO BECOME A SPONSOR OF HDP DEPUTIES On May 20th, 2016, under extreme pressure of President Erdoğan, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT) lifted the parliamentary immunity of 138 lawmakers through a provisional Constitutional amendment. The lifting of parliamentary immunities should be understood as a political coup which is also […]
Preliminary assesment on the lifting of parliamentary immunities in Turkey on may 20, 2016IN TURKEY ON MAY 20, 2016
May 21, 2016 HDP Foreign Affairs Commission On 20 May 2016, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT) lifted the parliamentary immunity of 138 lawmakers through a provisional Constitutional amendment. This became possible with the joint efforts of an anti-Kurdish nationalist alliance formed among the ruling AKP and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The Republican […]
HDP's statement on the anti-constitutional amendment
Lifting the legislative immunities of HPD members is a coup against the will of peoples and the consolidation of one-man rule On May 20th, 2016, under extreme pressure of President Erdoğan, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (GNAT) lifted the parliamentary immunity of 138 lawmakers through a provisional Constitutional amendment. This became possible with the […]
Eyyup Doru – Official meetings in Navarre and Basque Country
The representative of the HDP in Europe Eyyup Doru conducted a series of visits to the Basque Country and Navarre on May 18, 19 and 20. The validation of the law intended to withdraw parliamentary immunity of HDP members in the Parliament of Turkey and the alarming situation of the ongoing civil war in the […]
MEP call on members of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey not to support the amendment
“SILENCING OPPOSITION IS NOT THE WAY TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS” We, the undersigned members of the European Parliament, are deeply concerned about the recent amendment on the lifting of the legislative immunity of 129 members of parliament out of 550. The way it is presented in the public opinion by the government representatives proves […]
PES deeply concerned about unconstitutional move to strip Turkish MPs off immunity
The Party of European Socialists is deeply concerned about the upcoming vote at the Parliament General Assembly in Turkey to lift the immunity of the members of the Turkish Parliament. We consider the measure to be a new attempt to crack down on the opposition and as directly targeting the HDP party, which an associated […]
European parliamentarians address letter concerning the immunity vote in Turkey
Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, Brussels, May 13 2016, Dear presidents, dear Prime Minister, dear high […]
Statement concerning the arrest of DBP's co-Chair Kamuran Yüksek
Kamuran Yüksek’s arrest cannot dishearten us Mr. Kamuran Yüksek, co-Chair of Democratic Regions Party (DBP) has been arrested after an unlawful process of detention. Yüksek’s arrest on frivolous grounds citing speeches he made at party and public meetings, in other words because he expressed his thoughts and ideas is nothing but politically targeted policy of […]
Eyyup Doru – Statement on the constitutional committee's vote
Dear Friends, As you already know, the immunity of the HDP deputies is about to be lifted by the coalition of the other three parties, the AKP, CHP and MHP. The constitutional committee of the Parliament of Turkey has already voted for and trasferred the motion to the plenary session. As it was circulated on […]
S&D MEP Kati Piri and Knut Fleckenstein call on members of parliament not to support amendment
Following the vote in the Turkish Parliamentary Commission on Monday approving a law to remove parliamentary immunity from nearly a quarter of the country’s lawmakers, the S&D Group expresses its deep concern about the state of democracy in Turkey. The decision would amend the Turkish constitution with a temporary clause which could remove protection from […]
HDP's co-Chairs statement on the lifting of legislative immunity
Turkey is rapidly moving away from democracy and the rule of law due to President Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government’s increasing authoritarian policies – particularly with respect to the Kurdish issue. At multiple platforms we have expressed grave concerns that such antidemocratic policies are dragging the country into political violence, social […]
Eyyup Doru – Meeting with AFET Chair Elmar Brok
Mr. Elmar Brok, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, met today with Mr. Eyyup Doru, HDP Representative in Europe. Mr. Doru brought to Mr. Brok a letter from Mr. Selahattin Demirtas and Ms. Figen Yüksekdağ, HDP co-chairs. In their letter, the HDP co-Chairs express their grave concern about recent discussions in Turkey aiming […]
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights – Denounce the deteriation of Human rights in Turkey
“Respect for human rights has deteriorated at an alarming speed in recent months in the context of Turkey’s fight against terrorism” said Nils Muižnieks, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights at the end of a nine- day visit to Istanbul, Diyarbakir and Ankara. The topics of the visit were balancing security and human […]
EP Socialist-Democrat Group Chair and European United Left Group Chair called upon the EU to take action for the solution of the Kurdish question.
European Parliament (EP) Socialist-Democrat Group Chair Gianni Pittella and European United Left Group Chair Gabriella Zimmer have called on EU Council and Commission officials. Pittella said “We want the Kurdish question in Turkey to reach a just, peaceful and sustainable solution. The EU Council and Commission should also take responsibility as the Kurdish question is […]
HDP delegation – Visit Berlin
An HDP committee headed by co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş have held a series of visits with German political parties and democratic groups in Germany’s capital Berlin. Amed Metropolitan Municipality Co-mayor Gültan Kışanak, HDP Foreign Affair Chair and Bingöl MP Hişyar Özsoy and HDP Europe representative Eyüp Doru were also taking part in the committee. The topics of […]
Eyyup Doru – Visit Château-Renault
The representative of the HDP in Europe Eyyup Doru was a special guest of Michel Cosnier, mayor of Chateau-Renault in the municipality of the department of Indre-et-Loire, in central France Loire’s Valley, as part of a evening dedicated to the Kurdish new year. During the reception in the city hall, the mayor said: “When I […]