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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) following the ruling on the release of opposition politician Selahattin Demirtas of hypocrisy. Erdogan told supporters of his ruling Islamic-conservative party, the AKP, that the court ordered the release of a person who supported a terrorist organization for “double standards and hypocrisy.” The decision is politically motivated. Therefore, the court is after a “terrorist”.
The ECHR on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of the opposition politician. At the time of his arrest in early November 2016, Demirtas was chairman of the pro-Kurdish opposition party HDP. His deputy immunity was lifted that year. There are numerous lawsuits against the politician. In the main trial, Demirtas is accused, among other things, of belonging to a terrorist organization.
The background to the allegations is, among other things, the protests in Turkey in 2014, which the HDP had called for. They were directed against the siege of the Syrian-Kurdish city of Kobane by the IS terrorist militia. The protests turned violent, with 39 people killed according to official figures. Erdogan considers the legal HDP party to be the outstretched arm of the banned PKK, the Kurdish workers party. The HDP rejects this.
Erdogan said in reference to the demonstrations that Demirtas had the blood of numerous innocent people on his hands under the “mask of a politician.” It is guilty in the eyes of the Turkish nation.
Now a new arrest warrant has been issued for Demirtas in connection with the protests. The ECHR said Tuesday that the continuation of pretrial detention in the same context would be an extension of the violation of Demirtas’ rights. Therefore, Ankara must take all necessary measures to free Demirtas. As a member of the Council of Europe, Turkey must implement the ECHR rulings.
