HDP files criminal complaint against Erdoğan, Davutoğlu

ANKARA

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The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) has filed a criminal complaint against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu for using their influence over judicial acts against its party officials. 

“Prosecutors have launched operations that resulted in the detention and arrest of party officials after President Erdoğan’s and Prime Minister Davutoğlu’s statements that they had given instructions. As a result of these operations and according to the data provided to the Peoples’ Democratic Party, 1,033 have been detained and 125 of them have been arrested without concrete evidence since July 24,” the petition issued by the HDP read. 

Recalling consecutive statements by Erdoğan and Davutoğlu against HDP co-chairpersons Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, the petition said these statements were directly influencing judicial independence and impartiality. 

The petition said influencing the judiciary was a crime under article 277 of the Turkish Penal Code.