Turkish Opposition Criticizes Constitutional Court Indictment Against People’s Democratic Party
Turkey’s Constitutional Court has accepted an indictment seeking the closure of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
The indictment was previously returned by the Constitutional Court due to missing details in March, but the prosecutor refiled the dossier in early June.
The 843-page indictment, which was prepared by Bekir Şahin, the chief prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals, also demands that 451 party members be banned from politics.
The top court conducted its review of the case on June 21 and the court’s judges unanimously accepted the indictment.
The judges, however, at this stage rejected the prosecutor’s request to block the HDP’s bank account where it receives treasury aid.
Following the top court’s decision, the indictment will now be sent to the HDP for its initial defense.
Then, Şahin will present his opinion on the merits.
After the prosecutor’s oral statement and the HDP’s oral defense, a rapporteur will gather all necessary information and documents and prepare a report on the case.
In the 2018 parliamentary elections, the HDP won 11.7 percent of the vote, or nearly 6 million votes. It has 55 lawmakers in the 600-seat parliament.
After the report is distributed to the top court judges, Zühtü Arslan, the head of the Constitutional Court, will set a date to discuss the request for the closure of the HDP.
“We will not let the HDP be disbanded, we will defend the HDP. The HDP will ever grow,” said Mithat Sancar, the co-chair of the party, after the top court announced its decision.
In a press meeting, Sancar claimed that the closure case against the HDP was a “politically motivated move” and was initiated after months’ long political campaign against the party.
