Kurdish Friendship Group in the European Parliament MEPs, François Alfonsi (Greens / EFA, France) Andreas Schieder (S&D, Austria) Nikolaj Villumsen (GUE / NGL, Denmark), sent a letter about dialogue and cooperation between the MEPs of the Kurdish Friendship Group in the European Parliament and the elected representatives of Kurdistan, and expressed their concern for the […]
Category: parlement_europeen
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 […]
European Parliament Members to Erdoğan: Accept local election results
46 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from different political parties and groups have sent an open letter to the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The letter as follows: The elected officials are accused of spreading terrorist propaganda and financing terrorism. This accusation is false. So far the authorities have not presented any evidences for these claims. It […]
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 […]
PES deeply concerned about detention of HDP leaders Demirtas, Yuksekdag and other opposition MPs
The PES is profoundly concerned about the detention of the leaders of our associated member party HDP, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yüksekdag and a dozen other opposition MPs in Turkey. The arrests of the legally elected members of parliament, representatives of the Turkish people happens just a few days after a PES delegation led by […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Presidents from four groups at the EP addressed a letter to Mogherini concerning the situation in Kurdish region
March 03, 2016 Dear HR/VP Mogherini, We write to you regarding the escalation of violence in the context of the conflict between the Turkish security forces and the PKK in the south-east of Turkey, which has already caused more than a hundred civilian deaths. We are deeply concerned that the current climate of violence […]