President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
The European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) ruling on the former head of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş is not our concern, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Tuesday.
"ECHR decisions do not bind us. There are also so many things we can do against it [ECHR's decision]. We will make a counter move," Erdoğan said.
"Terrorism is still continuing in Turkey and the Turkish nation is the one who pays the price," he added.
The ECHR ruled earlier on Tuesday that Turkey violated the right to a speedy trial for Demirtaş, who was sentenced in September to over four years in jail on terrorism charges related to a speech he gave in 2013, after having spent nearly two years jailed while on trial.
Jailed former co-chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş and HDP lawmaker Sırrı Süreyya Önder were convicted on Friday of “'spreading terrorist propaganda”.An Istanbul court sentenced Demirtaş to four years and eight months in prison and Önder to three years and six months.Around a dozen HDP lawmakers are currently in prison pending trial for terrorism-related offenses after their parliamentary immunity was lifted in May 2016.Turkey's government has accused the HDP of having links to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU.
Jailed Turkish politicians get prison sentences
The court, which awarded him 10,000 euros in damages and a further 15,000 euros in costs, ruled against a number of his other complaints and accepted that he had been arrested and detained on "reasonable suspicion" of having committed a criminal offence.
Turkey says the HDP has links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.
Demirtaş faces several other terrorism-related charges and a total of 142 years in prison if convicted.
Turkish prosecutors have launched a probe against opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-leader for criticizing the recent probes launched against four lawmakers of her party, for allegedly spreading terror propaganda.In a statement on Tuesday, Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said that it launched a probe against Pervin Buldan for her remarks supporting the lawmakers attending the funerals of PKK terrorists.Last week, two lawmakers, Feleknas Uca and Mehmet Rustu Tiryaki attended the funeral of Devran Baysal, also known by his codename Simko Kerboran, who was among the terrorists killed during a counter-terrorism operation in southeastern Hakkari region on July 8.Uca and Tiryaki carried the terrorist's coffin on their shoulders, as part of the last rites.Also this month, two other HDP lawmakers Musa Farisogullari and Remziye Tosun attended the funeral of another PKK terrorist Mehmet Yakisir, codenamed Zeynel, who was killed in an anti-terror operation.Yakisir had martyred 15-year-old Eren Bulbul, last August, in the Black Sea province of Trabzon.The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.
Turkish prosecutors launch probe against HDP co-leader
The leader of Turkey's opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said on Tuesday that they would nominate their candidates for next year’s local elections "with the people.""From this day forward, we will intensively work [until the local elections],” Pervin Buldan told her party's parliamentary group."We will nominate our candidates with our people everywhere," she added.The local elections are set to be held on March 31, 2019.
Turkey's HDP vows to name candidates 'with the people'
Erdoğan to meet with MHP leader
Erdoğan also said he would meet with Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on Wednesday.
Erdoğan stressed that he did not see any issue on the continuation of People's Alliance with MHP.
"We will discuss the electoral alliance [in the upcoming local elections]. I hope we will obtain a result which will be good for both sides."
Local elections are set to be held across Turkey on March 31, 2019.
The alliance -- formed early this year, ahead of June general elections -- includes the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and the MHP as well as the much smaller BBP, or the Great Union Party.