EP Report on Turkey underlines serious concerns

The European Parliament yearly report on Turkey published on Tuesday said that “despite the lifting of the state of emergency in July 2018, the adverse impacts of the two-year long emergency ruling continued to significantly impact on democracy and fundamental rights.” The report added that “the situation in the south-east of the country continued to be very worrying, despite […]

EP: We urge Turkish authorities to reinstate all mayors and other elected officials who won March 2019 local elections

European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the replacement of our co-mayors of Diyarbakır, Van and Mardin with trustees. The bill of resolution was submitted to the parliament by the European United Left–Nordic Green Left (GUE/GNL) group.  The resolution reads as follows: European Parliament; Condemns the decision made by the Turkish authorities to remove democratically elected […]

Maja Kocijancic: Dismissals and detentions of local politicians and appointment of trustees seriously risk damaging local democracy

Statement by Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson for EU’s Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the suspensions of our mayors and detainment of hundreds of people in south-east Turkey: Turkish authorities have temporarily suspended the democratically elected mayors of Diyarbakir, Van and Mardin in south-east Turkey while hundreds of people have been detained as part of a […]

13th International conference at the EP: “Turkey, The Kurds and the war in the Middle East”

Kariane WESTRHEIM, Chair of the EUTCC, University of Bergen, (Norway), Josef WEIDENHOLZER, MEP, Vice-President of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament, (Austria) and Gabi ZIMMER, MEP, Chairwoman of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left Group (GUE/NGL) in the EP, (Germany) lauched the 13th annual conference of the […]

HDP MPs meet EP President Schulz in Brussels

A delegation from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) held talks in the European Parliament in Brussels and spoke of the dimension Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s dictatorial practices have reached today. The delegation was made up of HDP deputies Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Faysal Sarıyıldız, Tuğba Hezer and HDP Representative for Europe, Eyüp Doru. Welcomed by the […]

HDP's Delegation meets chair of S&D at the EP

A HDP’s delegation composed of Eyyup Doru, HDP’s representative in Europe and HDP deputies Tuğba Hezer Öztürk and Faysal Sarıyıldız, had a meeting with the chairman of the political group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S & D) Gianni Pittella in the European Parliament today to discuss the current situation in Turkey […]

Rebecca Harm's statement on Turkey's recent opposition arrests

Opposition arrests a further blow to democracy and rule of law Several members of Turkey’s opposition HDP party, including its leader Selahattin Demirtas, have been arrested and detained in Ankara. Reacting to the arrests, Greens/EFA co-President Rebecca Harms said: “I am deeply shocked by the unlawful detention of Selahattin Demirtas and his colleagues. I have […]

Statement by Federica Mogherini and Johannes Hahn on the arrest of co-mayors of Diyarbakir.

Federica Mogherini, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Johannes Hahn have issued a statement regarding the arrest of both co-mayors of Diyarbakir: “We have seen very worrying reports of the arrests of the democratically elected co-mayors […]

HDP Delegation meets EP's president Martin Schultz

HDP delegation led by Co-President Selahattin Demirtaş met European Parliament President’s Martin Schulz. HDP Deputy in charge of Foreign Relations Hişyar Özsoy, HDP Deputy in charge of Law and Human Rights Meral Danış Beştaş, HDP Mardin Parliamentarian Mithat Sancar and the HDP european representative Eyyup Doru accompanied Demirtaş during the meeting. The meeting with the […]

Joint statement – Committee chair Elmar Brok and rapporteur Kati Piri on Turkey

AFET Press release – External relations Members of the Foreign Affairs Committee discussed the motives and the possible consequences of Turkey’s recent attempted coup with Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and representatives of the European External Action Service on Tuesday morning. MEPs emphasized that to ensure further accession talks, Turkey must stick to democracy, the rule […]

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 […]

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 […]

Press conference in the European Parliament on AKP's massacres

Osman Baydemir, HDP’s deputy for Urfa, Batman deputy Ali Atalan and HDP European Parliament Representative Faik Yağızay held a press conference in the EP together with the Left Group. Marie-Christine Vergiat from the Kurdish Friendship Group in the European Parliament, Takis Hadjigeorgiou, co-chair of the Delegation to the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee, and Spanish MP […]