As part of a crackdown on Kurdish politicians, pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Mehmet Ali Aslan was detained in the Midyat district of southeastern Mardin province on Saturday, the Diken news website reported.
According to the report, a court had issued a warrant for Aslan’s detention since he failed to appear at hearings in a trial in which he stands accused of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “disseminating the propaganda of a terrorist organization.” Aslan was released later on Saturday.
On Friday, while a court in Diyarbakır issued an arrest warrant for HDP deputy İdris Baluken, who was recently released from jail, another court in Adıyaman ruled for the detention of HDP deputy Behçet Yıldırım.
HDP deputy Ferhat Encü, who was released from jail on Wednesday, was arrested on Friday after the Şırnak Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office objected to his release.
Turkey has stepped up its crackdown on Kurdish politicians in recent months. Trustees have been appointed to dozens of municipalities in the country’s predominantly Kurdish Southeast, while hundreds of local Kurdish politicians have been arrested on terror charges. There are currently 12 HDP deputies behind bars.
The developments have attracted widespread criticism from the region and Western countries. (turkishminute.com) Feb. 18, 2017
