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Reuters
A Turkish official, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, called for the release of a prominent Kurdish politician and businessman who was arrested following an attempted coup in the country in 2016.
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Bulent Arinc, a deputy member of the Supreme Advisory Council of the Turkish Presidency and a former deputy prime minister, called for the release of former leader of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party, Salahuddin Demirtas, and businessman known for his charitable work, Osman Kavala.
In an interview with the “Haber Turk” channel, Arinc said that he opposes the continuation of Demerdash prison, while expressing his dismay at Kavala’s continued detention.
“Saladin Demirtas has been in prison for three or four years,” Arinc added. “The arrest must not become a punishment.”
“I was surprised to learn that Kavala is still in detention. He should be released. When I read these allegations, I said that not even a child would write this,” he said.
Arinc’s comments come a week after Erdogan spoke about the country entering a new phase and promised that parliament will make reform of the judiciary a priority next year.
Arinc’s comments were criticized by the Nationalist Movement Party, allied with the ruling Justice and Development Party.
Human rights groups and Turkey’s allies in the West and some opposition parties called for the release of Demirtas and Kavala, claiming that their continued detention in two separate cases indicates political pressure exerted on the judiciary.
Despite previous court orders to release Demirtas, he has been incarcerated for more than four years. As for Kavala, he is accused of helping organize the coup attempt and has been in prison for more than three years.
Source: Reuters
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