Four released deputies transferred to HDP

ISTANBUL – Cihan News Agency

AA Photo

Four deputies of the Peace and democracy Party (BDP), who were released from prison as part of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) case, have been transferred to the People’s Democratic Party (HDP). A fifth released deputy has declared his support for the party, but is unable to officially become a member due to his political ban.

Four deputies Gürsel Yıldırım, İbrahim Ayhan, Selma Irmak and Faysal Sarıyıldız became HDP deputies in a ceremony in Istanbul on March 14. HDP co-chair Sebahat Tuncel and the party’s candidate for the Istanbul municipal office, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, were also present at the ceremony. Independent deputy Kemal Aktaş, who was also released from prison in the KCK case, was unable to become a member of the party due to his political ban, but announced that he would support the party.

Meanwhile, Tuncel used the occasion to condemn the recent attacks on the party’s election offices. She said the deputies who were released from prison and were deputies of the BDP had decided to become HDP deputies after these attacks.

The HDP and the BDP are linked parties, with candidates running for office under the HDP banner in Turkey’s western provinces and candidates running under the BDP banner in the east.