European Parliament: Release Selahattin Demirtaş, all prisoners of conscience

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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Following yesterday's debate (January 21), the European Parliament resolution on the human rights situation in Turkey, in particular the case of Selahattin Demirtaş and other prisoners of conscience, was voted by the Members of the European Parliament (MEP). The resolution has been approved by 590 votes in favour, 16 against and 75 abstentions.

Referring to former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş, the MEPs have called for "the immediate and unconditional release of Turkish opposition politician, former MP and former presidential candidate Demirtaş, who has been detained for more than four years by Turkish authorities on unsubstantiated charges and in spite of two European Court of Human Rights rulings in favour of his release."

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The MEPs have also demanded that all politically motivated charges against him and fellow members of the opposition HDP party be dropped.

They have also called on the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) to "urgently review, in its next meeting on March 21, 2021, Turkey's refusal to execute the judgment of the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR in the case of Demirtaş v Turkey, to adopt a declaration on the matter, and to take the necessary steps to ensure that the Government of Turkey implements this judgment without any further delay."

'Put an end to judicial harassment'

The resolution of the MEPs has further stated that "Turkey's sustained backsliding on the independence of the judiciary and the disregard shown by the Turkish judiciary and authorities for rulings by the European Court of Human Rights are of great concern."

The resolution of the parliament has called on the authorities in Turkey to "put an end to its judicial harassment of human rights defenders, academics, journalists, spiritual leaders, lawyers and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex communities."

MEPs have stressed that "respecting and applying the rulings of the ECtHR would go some way to confirming that the desire to turn a new page in EU-Turkey relations," expressed by President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other top government officials on 9 January of this year, is "sincere."

Improved EU-Turkey relations are fully dependent on, among other things, tangible improvements in respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and fundamental rights within Turkey, they have said. (EKN/SD)

* Click here to read the full resolution