Constitutional Court suspends HDP's election funds amid closure case

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The Constitutional Court has temporarily blocked the Treasury funds belonging to the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), in line with a request from the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office of the Court of Cassation.

In the 11-page request, the prosecutors had alleged that the HDP's communication with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) still continued during the closure case.

The HDP will submit its defense to the top court within a month. The court will then decide to continue or cancel the suspension of the funds.

The HDP was going to get 539 million Turkish lira (29.7 million US dollars) from the Treasury this year. About 179 million lira of the money would be paid until January 10.

The HDP is widely regarded as a key party ahead of the elections scheduled to take place in mid-June, as neither the ruling nor the opposition bloc has the support of the majority of the public.

HDP closure case

The Court of Cassation launched an inquiry against the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on March 2, 2021, and 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 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.

The top court ruling will be submitted to the Court of Cassation Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which filed the case, and to the related political party, namely the HDP, and the decision will be published in the Official Gazette.

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.
(RT/VK)