HDP faces losing Treasury funds ahead of elections

The chief public prosecutor of the Court of Cassation demands that the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) access to Treasury funds should be blocked, Hebrtürk TV reported yesterday (December 20). The request to block the state finances comes right before the deposition of funds on January 10.

The demands are part of a larger closure court case against the HDP for its alleged connections to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). In his "immediate" request to the Constitutional Court, Bekir Şahin said, "The continued organic link of the HDP with the terrorist organization during the trial."

The request to deny treasury funds to the HDP is based upon the probability that state aid will be paid to a party that might be dissolved, according to HaberTürk's report. 

HDP Deputy Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, commissioned with the closure case, told the daily Evrensel that the whole case from was political since the beginning."

"The MHP has been trying to prevent us from being given treasury aid for a long time, and now a request has been made. We will see what the court will decide," he said.

Last month, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahceli asked the Constitutional Court to close the party without further delay. Some of the MHP executives voiced similar opinions in the parliament.

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. (WM/VK)