New HDP Group Deputy Chairs Elected

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Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has elected two new “temporary” group deputy chairs, party’s İstanbul MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu and Muş MP Ahmet Yıldırım, following the arrest of two group deputy chairs.

Kerestecioğlu and Yıldırım will remain in this post until the arrested MPs are released.

HDP Co-Chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş were detained along with party’s Group Deputy Chair İdris Baluken on November 4. The other Group Deputy Chair Çağlar Demirel was arrested yesterday (December 13).

12 MPs arrested

HDP Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, Şırnak MPs Ferhat Encü, Leyla Birlik, Hakkari MPs Selma Irmak, Abdullah Zeydan, Diyarbakır MPs İdris Baluken, Nursel Aydoğan, Ziya Pir, İmam Taşçıer, Ankara MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Mardin MP Gülser Yıldırım were taken into custody on November 4.

Pir, Taşçıer and Önder were released on probation.

Yüksekdağ, Demirtaş, Baluken, Birlik, Irmak, Aydoğan, Yıldırım, Zeydan and Encü were arrested on the same day.

HDP Hakkari MP Akdoğan was arrested on November 7. 

HDP Group Deputy Chair Çağlar Demirel and HDP Siirt MP Besime Konca were arrested on December 13, which increased the number of arrested HDP MPs to 12. (NV/TK)