* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive
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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Group Deputy Chair Saruhan Oluç has addressed the remarks of President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about HDP's former Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been behind bars since November 2016.
Saruhan Oluç has indicated that with his remarks, President and AKP Chair Erdoğan has openly violated the Article 138 of the Constitution, which says, "No organ, authority, office or individual may give orders or instructions to courts or judges relating to the exercise of judicial power, send them circulars, or make recommendations or suggestions."
The statement of Oluç came shortly after Erdoğan said, "It is not in my capacity to intervene in the judiciary, but we will not protect the so-called right of a terrorist like Selahattin Demirtaş, if any."
Referring to the allegations about his possible release, Erdoğan also said, "I believe that our judiciary will not give such an opportunity to a terrorist like Demirtaş. Besides, he is the perpetrator of Kobani [incidents in 2014], Diyarbakır and Yasin Börü [killed in Diyarbakır during Kobani incidents]."
'This is not the first'
Against this background, Oluç delivered a speech at the General Assembly of the Parliament during budget talks yesterday evening:
"He is openly giving instruction to justice. In other words, AKP Chair Erdoğan is committing a Constitutional crime in his capacity as President. He is openly violating Article 138 of the Constitution, he is openly committing a Constitutional Crime, he is giving instruction to the judiciary.
"This is not the first, he did this before. He said, 'We will find a way and make our counter-move.' And he did, he gave instruction to the judiciary. 'The necessary will be done,' he said and it was done. It was apparently not enough; he said, 'We will not release him' and that was done as well.
"No matter where Mr. Justice Minister and Mr. Minister of Treasury and Finance make a tour, you can assure no one with such actions and words.
"We are faced with a person who is violating the Constitution in his capacity as President and disregarding the oath that he took. Under no circumstances do we accept this."
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'Demirtaş was not involved in Börü case'
HDP's Oluç also talked about Erdoğan's allegation that Demirtaş was the perpetrator of 16-year-old Yasin Börü's killing in Diyarbakır:
"You called our Former Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş 'the murderer of Yasin Börü.' The trial of Yasin Börü was heard, right? The trial ended, right? Yes, it did. Applications were made by courts, by several courts over and over again, requesting that Selahattin Demirtaş be involved in the Yasin Börü trial. The court board hearing the Yasin Börü case rejected those requests; it did not involve him, saying, 'He has nothing to do with it.'
"The Yasin Börü case was finalized and a sentence was given; Selahattin Demirtaş has nothing to do with it, he was not even involved in the trial." (EKN/SD)
