ISTANBUL – Speaking in front of the prison after the visiting former HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, DEM Party Co-chairs emphasized that implementing the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) rulings and releasing Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, and all Kobanê case prisoners would be “one of the most important steps” in the ongoing process toward peace and democratization.
Co-chairs of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, Tülay Hatimoğulları and Tuncer Bakırhan, visited former Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş at Edirne F-Type Prison, where he has been held for nearly a decade.
‘ECHR RULING MUST BE IMPLEMENTED IMMEDIATELY’
Tulay Hatimoğulları said both Demirtaş and former Diyarbakır co-mayor Selçuk Mızraklı, whom they also visited, remained hopeful about peace: “On November 4, 2016, Turkey was dragged into darkness through a comprehensive political operation targeting our co-chairs and party leaders. Ten years have passed since their imprisonment. Despite a binding ruling by the ECHR Grand Chamber, they remain behind bars, a clear violation of both domestic and international law. Turkey, as a member of the Council of Europe, is obliged to implement these rulings. Ignoring them means rejecting international law.”
Tulay Hatimoğulları continued: “Especially now, as discussions about a new peace process and democratization grow, implementing the ECHR decisions and releasing Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, and all those imprisoned in the Kobanê conspiracy case would be the most meaningful step. Supporting peace from behind four walls is not enough, they should be outside, contributing directly to the social construction of peace. There is no longer any reason for delay. The ECHR ruling must be implemented immediately, and all Kobanê prisoners must be released.”
‘OUR FRIENDS BELONG OUTSIDE, NOT IN PRISON’
DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan stressed that keeping political figures behind bars undermines trust in any new process: “We are entering a new phase, a period of critical discussions. But if innocent people who have spent ten years in prison are not freed, how can society have confidence in this process? Those who have already been declared innocent, including Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ, and all our comrades imprisoned in the Kobanê case must be released immediately. Their place is not in cells but among the people, helping to socialize and strengthen peace.”
Following the statements, Hatimoğulları and Bakırhan departed for Kandıra F-Type Prison to visit former HDP Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ.