Top Court postpones plea date in HDP closure case

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The Constitutional Court (AYM) of Türkiye postponed the date for the defense of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) over the HDP closure case upon the request of the party.

The defense of HDP over the closure case is now scheduled for April 11. The related plea date was announced as March 14 before.

How will the process proceed?

Following the defense by the party, the reporter will collect information and documents related to the case and prepare her/his report as to the accusations.

After the report is circulated to the members of the supreme court, chairperson Zühtü Arslan will set a date for a meeting. The members of AYM will meet on that date and start to discuss the request for the closure of HDP. The board is expected to continue discussing the case without any interruptions until a judgment is reached.

The 15-member AYM board will be making the decision on the HDP closure case. A two-thirds majority of the members, thus the votes of 10 members out of 15 is necessary to decide for the closure of the party due to the reasons listed in article 69 of the Constitution or to totally or partially deny the party the state assistance.

If the court rules that some party members for whom there are requests for banning from politics have caused the party to close with their statements of actions, these people will not be able to be founders, members, executive committee members, or auditors of any other political party for 5 years.

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

Unblocking of accounts to be discussed today

On the other hand, the General Assembly of the Constitutional Court will discuss today the request by HDP to unblock its bank account where the state assistance paid or is going to be paid to the party in 2023 is transferred.

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

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