HDP will not plead verbally at Constitutional Court on April 11

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People's Democratic Party (HDP) today (April 6) made public the petition the party has submitted to the Constitutional Court (AYM) indicating that the party will not be pleading in the closure case on April 11. 

HDP explained in the petition why they will not be pleading on that day. 

"The closure case against our party started with political motives and proceeded with political interventions. All our applications for the plea date to be postponed to a date after the elections were rejected by AYM without justification. April 11 was communicated to our party as the plea date. 

"This attitude of the AYM is an intervention to free and fair elections and our party will not be pleading on April 11," the party petition says.  

HDP closure case

The Court of Cassation launched an inquiry against HDP on March 2, 2021, and the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation Bekir Şahin applied to the Constitutional Court on March 17, 2021, demanding the closure of the HDP and many of its members banned from politics.

A two-thirds majority, or votes of 10 of the 15 Constitutional Court members, are necessary to close the party or to impose other sanctions on the party, such as wholly or partially depriving it of public aid.

Those who have been imposed a political ban will not be able to be founders, members, executives, or supervisors of any other political party for five years. (TY/PE)