PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
Democratic process and and attacks on Kurds in Turkey (13 October 2020)

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.

Sponsored by:
Chris Stephens (Scottish National Party)