The European Parliament’s (EP) Turkey rapporteur Kati Piri has called for the release of jailed pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş ahead of Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections on June 24, online news outlet T24 reported.
According to the report, Piri took to Facebook on Monday, highlighting that Demirtaş, who has been in pre-trial detention for 19 months and faces a string of terror-related charges, is campaigning from his prison cell.
“Other candidates, such as Muharrem İnce (CHP) and Meral Akşener (İYİ), have called for his release. Only then can there be a fair campaign. That seems to me to be a demand that all democrats must support,” Piri said, echoing the calls made by Turkey’s opposition figures for the release of Demirtaş during his presidential campaign.
EU-Commissioner for European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn last month said that Turkey’s upcoming elections would not be fair under the ongoing state of emergency rule that was implemented following the controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016, pointing to the chokehold over freedom of expression in Turkey.
Turkey heads to the polls on June 24 for elections which will usher in a new presidential system that was narrowly approved in last year’s referendum and will grant increased powers to the president.
Meanwhile, it was also reported that Demirtaş will answer questions from Turkey’s electorate on social media on Wednesday. The presidential candidate will share his answers to questions posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram until 11 pm on Wednesday. (SCF with Ahval)
The post EP rapporteur Piri calls Turkey to release jailed pro-Kurdish HDP candidate Demirtaş appeared first on Stockholm Center for Freedom.
from Stockholm Center for Freedom https://stockholmcf.org/ep-rapporteur-piri-calls-turkey-to-release-jailed-pro-kurdish-hdp-candidate-demirtas/
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