4 political parties from Switzerland: Release HDP politicians

* Photo: HDP

Click to read the article in Turkish

67 elected politicians from 4 political parties in Switzerland have released a written statement regarding the recent detention and arrest of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) politicians.

67 people including Stéfanie Prezioso and Balthasar Glättli, who are members of the National Council, the lower house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, as well as Lisa Mazzone, Marina Carobbio Guscetti and Carlo Sommaruga, who are members of the Council of States, the upper house of the Federal Assembly, have called on the authorities in Turkey to release the elected HDP politicians as soon as possible.

CLICK - 17 HDP politicians arrested

Their joint statement reads as follows:

"On September 25, more than 80 HDP members were arrested in seven provinces of Turkey on the pretext that they had participated in a demonstration in support of the Syrian Kurdish Kobane in 2014; they are charged with 'attempting a coup via social networks'. This large-scale police operation shows once again the anti-democratic, authoritarian and repressive character of the regime of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

"Among those arrested are Ayhan Bilgen, the Co-Mayor of Kars, former MP and film director Sırrı Süreyya Önder, MPs Altan Tan, Emine Ayna and Nazmi Gür, scientist Beyza Üstün, Can Memiş, feminist researcher Gülfer Akkaya, socialist writer Alp Altınörs, Günay Kubilay and Dilek Yağlı.

"The peoples of Turkey demand that their fundamental freedoms and democratic rights be respected. They want to hear the words of peace and dialogue with the Kurdish people. The HDP is a legal and representative party that received over 11 percent of votes in the last national election.

"We condemn these arrests in the strongest possible terms and demand the immediate release of those affected."

(RT/SD)