Opposition and democracy in Turkey

Early day motion 1698, tabled 25 March 2021 by Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party). Signed by 17 members.

That this House is deeply concerned by the legal process underway in Turkey to shut down the second largest opposition party in Turkey, the People’s Democratic Party (HDP); notes the case filed by Chief Public Prosecutor Bekir Sahin in the Constitutional Court, which claims that the HDP aimed to disrupt the unity and territorial integrity of the State; understands that the attacks on the HDP are also an attack on the democratic rights of the six million plus citizens of Turkey who voted for them; commends the work being done by the HDP in attempting democratic steps towards a peaceful resolution to the Kurdish question; condemns the Turkish Government for trying to criminalise the democratic voice of millions of its citizens; calls for the immediate release of 11 democratically elected former HDP members of Parliament; calls for the release of the thousands of people imprisoned simply for membership of the peaceful, political HDP; is further deeply concerned by the withdrawal, in the same week of Turkey, from the Istanbul Convention, which seeks to protect women from gender-based violence; and calls on the Government to make representations to the Turkish authorities to halt the continuing assault on democracy, the criminalisation of democratic opposition and the assault on human rights, and to press for a genuine rules-based international community and for human rights compliance amongst UK trading partners.

Signatures by party: Scottish National Party 9, Labour 3, Plaid Cymru 3, Conservative 1, Independent 1.