Even if only one HDP MP remains in parliament, do not leave: Imprisoned HDP co-chair Demirtaş

EDİRNE

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Even if only one Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MP remains in parliament, do not leave, Selahattin Demirtaş, the imprisoned co-chair of the party told HDP lawmaker Mehmet Ali Aslan on Dec. 20. 

In his hearing, Demirtaş connected to prosecutors via a video call, where he demanded the remaining MPs exercise all their legal rights to contribute to the constitutional amendment debate. 

Demirtaş reportedly requested for a break during a call for prayer and spoke to Aslan saying that he had lost five kilograms, was taking medicines and had his blood pressure checked every day. 

Demirtaş was arrested along with the co-chair of the party, Figen Yüksekdağ and 10 other HDP lawmakers on Nov. 4 in a probe that was launched against 14 of the party’s deputies over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
 
During his imprisonment, Demirtaş was taken to hospital in Edirne on Dec. 14 after suffering a heart spasm. 

Meanwhile, Yüksekdağ, the other imprisoned co-chair of the HDP, in her defense stated that all they wanted was for the people to live freely. 

“Tragedies were unfolding in Cizre, Sur and Silopi when I made this speech. A number of civilian have died during this period. We wanted bring an end to this situation. We as the people, who are living in this country, did not want this. All we wanted was for people to live free. Today, we still want this,” she said referring to military operations conducted throughout 2015 in Turkey’s southeast. 

The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Van had charged Yüksekdağ with “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” and acting against Turkish electoral law. The charges stem from an October 2015 incident in which Yüksekdağ reportedly referred to killed PKK militants as “martyrs” in an election campaign speech.