Democratic process and and attacks on Kurds in Turkey

Motion Text

That this House notes that the Turkish authorities have issued arrest warrants for 82 members of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), including current and former democratically elected mayors, and the party’s current Central Executive Board; further notes that the HDP is the third largest political party in Turkey; notes that in 2019 the HDP won 65 municipalities in local elections and that the Turkish State has arbitrarily taken control of 51 of those municipalities; is deeply concerned that at least 200 democratically elected HDP representatives including 7 MPs are imprisoned; believes that this mass incarceration amounts to a violation of fundamental rights including the rights to political association, political participation and freedom of expression; is further deeply concerned that this undermines the rights of the Turkish people to have their democratic will upheld; and calls on the Foreign Secretary to express these concerns to his Turkish counterpart as a matter of utmost urgency.