Residents of Diyarbakir critical over arrest of Kurdish lawmakers

Record ID: 80242

  • Title: Residents of Diyarbakir critical over arrest of Kurdish lawmakers
  • Date: 5th November 2016
  • Summary: DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) PEDESTRIANS WALKING DOWN STREET MUNICIPALITY WORKERS SWEEPING PAVEMENTS PEDESTRIANS WALKING DOWN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) DIYARBAKIR RESIDENT, HAMDULLAH AYDIN, SAYING: "We want unity and solidarity. We can't go to work because of these incidents. We want unity. This can be achieved by living together in mutual respect. This cannot be achieved with guns." (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) DIYARBAKIR RESIDENT, AYSEL SIMSEK, SAYING: "I can't be tolerant on this. They are elected after all. Millions of people voted for them. They won seats at parliament. Arresting them is against democracy. This shouldn't have happened. It seems there is a war in this country. People are critical. They should be released immediately. This is against democracy. You don't see this in any democracy or in any country." (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) DIYARBAKIR RESIDENT, FARUK SIMSEK, SAYING: "Regarding the arrest of HDP lawmakers, I don't think it's right to arrest elected politicians. The latest incidents (PKK attacks), especially the way it was conceived by Turkish community, brought us here. I don't think it's right to arrest HDP lawmakers." ANKARA, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) NEWS KIOSK SELLING NEWSPAPERS TODAY'S NEWSPAPERS ON DISPLAY HEADLINE OF HURRIYET NEWSPAPER READING (Turkish): "NINE ARRESTED" HEADLINE OF SOZCU NEWSPAPER READING (Turkish): "MAJOR OPERATION TO HDP" HEADLINE OF POSTA NEWSPAPER READING (Turkish): "NOVEMBER 4, 2016 TURKEY: NINE MPS WERE JAILED" PEDESTRIAN PASSING THROUGH POLICE BARRIERS OUTSIDE HDP HEADQUARTERS WATER CANNON VEHICLE / POLICE OFFICERS EXTERIOR OF HDP HEADQUARTERS POLICEMEN STANDING BEHIND BARRIERS
  • Embargoed: 20th November 2016 07:45
  • Keywords: Turkey Kurds newspapers arrests
  • Location: ANKARA, DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY
  • City: ANKARA, DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Fundamental Rights/Civil Liberties,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015761OHZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Residents of Diyarbakir, the largest city in mainly Kurdish southeast Turkey, criticised the Turkish government on Saturday (November 5), following the arrests of leaders of Turkey's main pro-Kurdish opposition party as part of a terrorism investigation.
    Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, co-leaders of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), were jailed pending trial on Friday (November 4).
    Ten other HDP politicians were also detained, although some were later released.
    The latest arrests drew strong international condemnation of a widening crackdown on dissent under President Tayyip Erdogan.
    One Diyarbakir resident, Aysel Simsek, said: "I can't be tolerant on this. They are elected after all. Millions of people voted for them. They won seats at parliament. Arresting them is against democracy."
    The arrest of elected members of the Turkish parliament's third largest party, and the detention or suspension of more than 110,000 officials since a failed coup in July, may "go beyond what is permissible", the U.N. human rights office said.
    The United States expressed deep concern, while Germany and Denmark summoned Turkish diplomats over the Kurdish detentions, and European Parliament President Martin Schulz said the actions "call into question the basis for the sustainable relationship between the EU and Turkey".
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