Oppression of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) - Turkey

Written declaration No. 425 | Doc. 11888 | 30 April 2009

Signatories:

Ms Pernille FRAHM, Denmark, UEL ; Mr John AUSTIN, United Kingdom ; Mr Tuur ELZINGA, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Bill ETHERINGTON, United Kingdom ; Mr Piero FASSINO, Italy, SOC ; Mr Andres HERKEL, Estonia, EPP/CD ; Mr Bjørn JACOBSEN, Norway ; Mr Albrecht KONEČNÝ, Austria, SOC ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Franz Eduard KÜHNEL, Austria, EPP/CD ; Mr Paul LEMPENS, Netherlands ; Ms Anna LILLIEHÖÖK, Sweden ; Mr Göran LINDBLAD, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Aleksei LOTMAN, Estonia, UEL ; Mr Theo MAISSEN, Switzerland ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Marietta de POURBAIX-LUNDIN, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Ms Doris STUMP, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Zoltán SZABÓ, Hungary ; Mr Rudi VIS, United Kingdom

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

The undersigned

1. Are deeply concerned by the latest large-scale raids carried out by Turkish police against the Democratic Society Party-DTP, which forms the fourth largest group -with 21 members- in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. During these operations more than 300 members and executives were arrested, and 153 of them including 3 vice presidents of DTP were put in prison.

2. The mass arrests and intensive oppression which are now underway after the local elections in Turkey are unacceptable in a country which is a founding member of the Council of Europe

3. The results of the last local elections in South Eastern Turkey show that the Kurdish people want a peaceful political solution to the Kurdish issue.

4. In order to have stability, democracy and human rights, and to prevent violence in the country, there should be respect for the struggle for the democracy and the activities of political parties.

5. We call on the Turkish authorities for the immediate release of all those who were arrested and to stop the oppression of the DTP.