- Title: Turkey's pro-Kurdish party HDP's 11 MPs detained - party lawyers
- Date: 4th November 2016
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 4, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN WALKING TO PRO-KURDISH PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY (HDP) HEADQUARTERS VARIOUS WINDOWS OF HDP OFFICES VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN DRIVING PAST ISTANBUL, TURKEY (OCTOBER 30, 2016) (REUTERS) HDP CO-CHAIRWOMAN FIGEN YUKSEKDAG SPEAKING AT A PROTEST HELD TO DENOUNCE DETENTIONS OF CO-MAYORS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) HDP CO-CHAIRWOMAN, FIGEN YUKSEKDAG, SAYING: "Today once again, we are calling on you. Take your hands off us and our free will. We have the power and the courage to resist." DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY (OCTOBER 27, 2016) (REUTERS) HDP LEADER, SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS WALKING WITH THE CROWD / PEOPLE CHANTING (Turkish): "WE WILL WIN BY RESISTING" ANKARA, TURKEY (OCTOBER 31, 2016) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) HDP LEADER, SELAHATTIN DEMIRTAS, SAYING: "If we call these arrests, it would seem as if the judiciary mechanism is working and the court has given its verdict. Arrest is a legal term. There is nothing legal here. This is an abduction. This is a hostage situation."
- Embargoed: 19th November 2016 00:44
- Keywords: Turkey Kurds security HDP Figen Yuksekdag Selahattin Demirtas
- Location: ANKARA, DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY
- City: ANKARA, DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA0025710XTZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL THAT WAS SHOT IN PORTRAIT
Turkey detained two co-leaders and nine other lawmakers of Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) early on Friday (November 4) over reluctance to give testimony for crimes linked to "terrorist propaganda."
The Turkish Interior Ministry said detention orders for 13 MPs were issued, but only 11 were detained as two lawmakers were abroad. Lawyers had earlier said 15 MPs were detained.
Turkish police raided the Ankara house of co-leader Selahattin Demirtas and the house of co-leader Figen Yuksekdag in Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, the party's lawyers told Reuters.
"HDP call international community to react against Erdogan Regime's coup," the party said on Twitter, referring to President Tayyip Erdogan.
Police also raided and searched the party's head office in central Ankara. Television images showed party officials quarreling with police during the raid, and a Reuters witness said many police cars and armed vehicles had closed the entrances to the street of the HDP headquarters.
A group of protesters chanting slogans tried to reach the party offices, but were stopped by police before they could enter the street, a Reuters witness said.
A widespread difficulty in reaching social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook as well as messaging app WhatsApp were reported across Turkey after the detentions started at midnight.
HDP is the third largest party in the 550-seat Turkish parliament, with 59 seats. Parliamentarians in Turkey normally enjoy immunity from prosecution, but the pro-Kurdish party's immunity was lifted earlier this year.
Turkey accuses the HDP of links to the Kurdish militant group PKK, which is deemed a terrorist organisation by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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