71 deputies in Hamburg condemn the closure case against HDP

71 deputies of the Hamburg Parliament condemn the closure case against the HDP in Turkey and call on the Erdogan government to immediately return to the Istanbul Convention.

71 deputies from four parliamentary groups in the Hamburg State Parliament condemned the banning of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey and called on the Erdogan government to immediately return to the Istanbul Convention. All those imprisoned for political reasons should be released immediately, according to the members from the parliamentary groups DIE GRÜNEN, DIE LINKE, SPD and CDU in the Hamburg state parliament, who declared their solidarity with the democratic forces in Turkey.

The joint statement initiated by Miriam Block (DIE GRÜNEN), Cansu Özdemir (DIE LINKE) and Ali Simsek (SPD), said the following under the heading "71 Hamburg MPs demand: Turkey must return to the Istanbul Convention! MPs belong in parliaments and not in prisons":

"In recent days, we have witnessed dramatic events that have led to an escalating development in Turkey. On Saturday evening (20.03.2021), Turkish President Erdogan withdrew from the Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women by decree on homophobic grounds. In doing so, he bypassed the Turkish parliament, which had unanimously (!) approved the convention signed by President Erdogan in 2011.

Earlier, the immunity of the well-known human rights activist and HDP deputy Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu was lifted. As a result, he was arrested in a degrading manner in parliament on his way to morning prayers.

On the same day, proceedings were initiated to ban the country's second-largest opposition party (HDP). In addition, 678 members of the HDP are to be deprived of the right to engage in any political activity for at least five years. Those affected include party leaders and other well-known figures from the HDP leadership. Opposition figures were again arrested in several cities. We (members of the Hamburg Parliament) stand in solidarity with the women's movement in Turkey and call on President Erdogan to return to the Istanbul Convention and implement it fully. We condemn the HDP ban proceedings and demand its immediate termination and the release of those imprisoned for political reasons. As signatories, we stand with the democratic forces in Turkey."

In addition to Miriam Block, Cansu Özdemir and Ali Simsek, the statement has been signed by the following MPs:

GRÜNE (Greens) Hamburg Parliamentary Group: Maryam Blumenthal, Eva Botzenhart, Filiz Demirel, Rosa Domm, Sina Demirhan, Olaf Duge, Mareike Engels, Alske Freter, Gerrit Fuß, Michael Gwosdz, René Gögge, Britta Herrmann, Sina Imhof, Jennifer Jasberg, Linus Jünemann, Lisa Kern, Dominik Lorenzen, Andrea Nunne, Christa Möller, Farid Müller, Ivy May Müller, Johannes Müller, Lisa Maria Otte, Dr. Miriam Putz, Dennis Paustian-Döschner, Ulrike Sparr, Dr. Till Steffen, Dr. Gudrun Schittek, Yusuf Uzundag, LenaZagst, Peter Zamory

Left-wing parliamentary group Hamburg: Sabine Boeddinghaus, Heike Sudmann, David Stoop, Deniz Celik, Dr. Carola Ensslen, Dr. Stephanie Rose, Insa Tietjens, Mehmet Yildiz, Metin Kaya, Norbert Hackbusch, Olga Fritzsche, Stephan Jersch

SPD parliamentary group Hamburg: Dirk Kienscherf, Ole Thorben Buschhüter, Danial Ilkhanipour, Sami Mousa, Dr. Christel Oldenburg, Arne Platzbecker, Frank Schmitt, Dr. Tim Stoberock, Dr. Isabella Vertes-Schütter, Dagmar Wiedemann, Ekkehard Wysocki, Claudia Loss, Vanessa Mohnke, Clarissa Herbst, Anje Quast, Astrid Hennies, Lars Pochnicht, Philine Sturzenbecher, Kazim Abaci, Iftikhar Malik

CDU Parliamentary Group Hamburg: Dennis Thering, Dennis Gladiator, Dr. Anke Frieling, Birgit Stöver, Andreas Grutzeck