Dear Sir or Madam,
Please find below our monthly newsletter.
Kind regards
Prof. Dr. Kariane Westrheim
EUTCC Chairperson
Declaration of solidarity with the HDP and against the criminalisation of Kobani’s resistance
The Bureau of the Kurdish Friendship Group in the European Parliament, François Alfonsi (Greens/EFA), Andreas Schieder (S&D), Nikolaj Villumsen (GUE/NGL) and leaders of the European Political Parties: Heinz Bierbaum (President of the Party of the European Left) Evelyne Huytebroeck and Thomas Waitz (Co-chairs of the European Green Party), Lorena Lopez de Lacalle (President of the European Free Alliance) and Sergei Stanishev (leader of the PES – Party of European Socialists) issued a joint declaration.
First hearing of Kobane Trial
The first hearing of the “Kobanî trial” started at the Ankara 22nd Heavy Penal Court in Sincan Campus on April 26. There are 108 defendants from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP); while 28 people have been arrested pending trial, there are judicial control measures on six and warrants against 75 people.
Facing charges over the “Kobanî protests of October 6-8” in 2014, the politicians face a life sentence aggravated for 38 times each.
PACE urgent debate on the functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey
PACE calls on the Turkish authorities “to put an end to laws and practices that contravene democratic standards”
CoE Committee of Ministers supervision of the execution of the Court’s judgment in Kavala case
The ministers urge the authorities once again to ensure Osman Kavala’s immediate release and affirm their readiness, if necessary, to actively consider all means at their disposal to ensure implementation of the judgment.
Our statement on the occasion of Kobani Trial of 108 people, including arrested HDP former Co-Chairs Figen Yüksekdağ & Selahattin Demirtaş
The EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC) expresses its solidarity and support with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), the third-largest party in Turkey’s parliament and a party which, in sharp contrast to the AKP-MHP alliance, represents the core values of humanity: unity across dividers, cultural, religious and gender diversity and which pursues its policies by democratic means. Despite this, the HDP is threatened with closure and extensive arrests of members and parliamentarians. In 2014 HDP called on the international community to join hands in the legitimate protest for Kobane. Now seven years later, 26 April, 108 HDP members stand before trial accused of having encouraged incitement and violence in connection with the party’s call for support for the resistance in Kobane. Everyone who rallies under the flag of civil and political rights, must support HDP’s struggle for a reversal of the political system in Turkey, which has been backsliding into authoritarianism. The EUTCC stands by HDP in this struggle and urges all democratic forces to do the same. The EUTCC also urges the international community and parliamentarians around the world to stand up and call for the release of all political prisoners in Turkey, including Selahattin Demirtas and hundreds of other imprisoned HDP representatives.
Commentaries on EU – Turkey relations
- Commentary #1 “You sleep with the devil; you wake up in hell!”: On the new EU-Turkey Deal, by Nikos Christofis
http://eutcc.net/?p=610 - Commentary #2 Playing politics with the plight of refugees. How the EU went into Erdogan’s political receivership, by Dr. Naif Bezwan and Dr. Janroj Yilmaz Keles
http://eutcc.net/?p=610 - Commentary #3: Merkel’s positive agenda has collapsed before it started, by Prof. Dr. Cengiz Aktar
http://eutcc.net/?p=656
EU Turkey Civic Commission
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