There are ‘preparations’ to close HDP, says co-leader Demirtaş

ANKARA

Selahattin Demirtaş, co-leader of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has argued that a plan is in process to close down his party, accusing an advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of leading the plan.

“From what I’ve heard, [Burhan] Kuzu, who has been appointed as an advisor to the president, is planning to close the party…IF possible before the end of this year, not to allow the party to be an obstacle for  the [Justice and Development Party] AKP,” Demirtaş told reporters in Ankara on Aug. 1.

Kuzu, a professor of constitutional law and a strong backer of the presidential system, is among the AKP lawmakers who were not nominated for fourth term in parliament. He was earlier this week appointed as an advisor to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. 

Parliament must strip the immunity from prosecution of HDP lawmakers and make them “pay the price” for links to “terrorist groups,” Erdoğan said on July 28. He, however, claimed he rejected the closing of any political party, suggesting that politicians should be the object of the cases, not legal entities.

Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli called for the closure of the HDP on charges of links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Demirtaş argued that those who were “cooking up a war game want to put the blame of their sins on the HDP.”

“The HDP will get stronger every day,” said Demirtaş.

“They are running a so-called campaign [against the HDP] with their spies on our tails, their journalists on payroll, so-called nationalists.

"We are not afraid of an election, we are ready for an early election. This time we will, hopefully, bury for good the mentality that prefers war to reaching out to peace.”

Demirtaş was also asked about his brother, Nurettin Demirtaş, a PKK member who was injured in the Turkish airstrikes, according to Anadolu Agency.

“I cannot confirm the Anadolu Agency report, because my brother is not in Kandil,” the HDP co-leader said. 

“My brother is not conducting a paid military service against [Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant] ISIL, he is resisting ISIL for the sake of his people,” he added.