Former HDP co-chair Demirtaş in good health after suffering heart problems

ANKARA

Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) who is currently serving jail time in the northwestern Edirne Prison, is currently in good health after being taken to hospital due to a cardiovascular problem, the chief prosecutor’s office has announced.

Demirtaş, 46, remained unconscious for a long time after fainting on the morning of Nov. 26, following chest pains and trouble in breathing, his lawyer, as well as his sister, Aygül Demirtaş had said on Twitter.

Aygül Demirtaş and the HDP headquarters had called on the Justice Ministry for his referral to a hospital.

In a written statement on Dec. 5, the Edirne’s chief prosecutor’s office said that prison authorities called an ambulance right after Demirtaş had fallen ill.

The ambulance’s doctor offered Demirtaş for a referral, yet he refused by saying he felt fine, according to the statement.

The prosecutor’s office said that initials tests at the prison last week had indicated no health issues and that he was offered for a referral to a polyclinic.

Later, on Dec. 2 Demirtaş was referred to Trakya University Medical Faculty Hospital, the statement conveyed.

Following medical exams in cariology, neurology, gastroenterology and pulmonology, no “life threatening” indicators were found.

Meanwhile, Necdet İpekyüz, an HDP deputy for the southeastern Batman province, met with Demirtaş after the latter’s condition. Speaking to a local newspaper, İpekyüz said that some of Demirtaş’s medical exam results are in normal levels.

“After he was referred [to the hospital], he was given a Holter monitor. Other results of his medical exams are normal. He is in good mood but the results from the Holter test have not been finalized,” İpekyüz told daily Birgün.

When asked why the HDP headquarters did not inform the public for a week, İpekyüz said he asked Demirtaş and the latter said it would be “unfair” for those convicts who are in worse conditions.

“He said that there are convicts in ill health who are in a much worse condition. He said that putting his condition forward would be unfair to these convicts,” İpekyüz added.