HDP makes fresh application demanding closure case postponement

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has made a second application to the Constitutional Court, demanding the postponement of the closure case against it until after the elections.

In a petition, the party's law and human rights commission stressed that an oral defense, which was scheduled for April 11, could not be possible in a period of election campaigning. The elections will take place on May 14.

If the co-leaders, who will make an oral defense, and the party committees and experts to provide support to them focus on the defense rather than the elections, negative consequences will have arisen for the party, the commission argued.

The supreme court had turned down a previous application from the party for a postponement.

In mid-2021, the court accepted an indictment seeking the closure of the party because of its alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Transfers to Green Left Party

Meanwhile, the HDP has decided to transfer its staff to the Green Left (Yeşil Sol) Party in case the court rules for its closure, the Artı Gerçek news portal reported, citing party sources.

In October, the Green Left replaced its symbol with one similar to that of the HDP.

Selahattin Demirtaş, the imprisoned former co-leader of the party, also implied yesterday (March 14) that his party will compete in the elections under the Green Left.

Sharing the Green Left logo on his Twitter account, he wrote, "Please print out this image in color and paste it on refrigerator doors and room doors at home. Nobody should be left not knowing what's going on, it'll be needed." (RT/VK)