DEMOCRACY IN TURKEY AND THE KURDS

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The ELDH notes with the greatest concern the news that the Turkish Constitutional Court has been asked by the General Prosecutor to ban the DTP (Demokratik Toplum Partisi – Party of the Democratic Society). The banning of political parties and the imprisonment of their political leaders has a long tradition in Turkey. Very often, in contradiction with democratic rights, the constitutional pretext has been claimed to be the safeguard of the integrity of the Turkish state.

However, ELDH doubts whether the banning of political parties has really served the integrity of the Turkish state and the welfare of the people who live in Turkey, or if result has not been even fiercer conflict and more violence. And even greater doubt is justified if the integrity of the TurkishState is always of higher value then the Turkish democracy. If the present Turkish Constitution allows the Court to ban political parties and to imprison politicians just for their exercise of their freedom of expression, this demonstrates that the Turkish Constitution is in urgent need of amendment.

If DTP is banned this will demonstrate that the tradition of banning political parties and  imprisonment of their political leaders and members continues. Military force and prohibition of political actions will cause social problems which will complicate the solution of the question for years and cause hatred between Kurdish and Turkish peoples which will take a long time to overcome. Instead of following a policy to suppress any pro Kurdish political movements, rights and freedoms to improve the democratic struggle of the Kurdish people should be provided and conditions for democratic solution of the Kurdish problem should be introduced.

• ELDH will observe this case with high attention. 
• ELDH demands also that the European Union, their bodies and their member states do the same in order to decide which might be an adequate political reaction.
• ELDH asks all lawyers in Europe to support its initiative, by signing this declaration

If you wish to sign, please send an email with your 

• name/organisation
• full address
• email-addess

to secretary.general@eldh.eu