The AKP government has sent a defense to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding the arrested HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş and HDP MPs.

The defense about the appeal Demirtaş, the arrested HDP MPs and the HDP MPs arrested and released (12 MPs in total) made to the ECHR included a reference to CHP (Republican People's Party) Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

“THREE PARTIES ACTED TOGETHER”

The Ministry of Justice Human Rights Bureau Presidency prepared the defense that includes the following:

“CHP Leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and MHP (Nationalist Movement Party) Leader Devlet Bahçeli are among the MPs whose immunities have been lifted. There have been summaries prepared against them as well, and both leaders have submitted their written or oral depositions to authorized investigators. Because terrorist organizations were supported by politicians and politicians used their immunities to support terrorist organizations, the governing and opposition parties (CHP and MHP) acted together and decided to lift the immunities of MPs to prevent immunity being used to support terror.”

The government hid Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s statement that ended the “Solution Process” and pointed to the questionable Ceylanpınar incident, claiming that “the process de facto ended on July 22”.

The defense text stressed that Demirtaş didn’t give a deposition and mentioned his participation in the Democratic Society Congress (Demokratik Toplum Kongresi - DTK) meetings.

On the Constitutional Court failing to issue a verdict on the appeals made by arrested MPs, the defense said: “The CC not being able to handle the cases of the applicants and issue verdicts to date should be excused.”

"FOR PEACE AND A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY!"

The government took it a step further and claimed that the arrest of HDP MPs was for peace and democracy: “It should be accepted that the HDP Co-chair and MPs have influence over a section of society who support their viewpoint. During the time in question, the applicants have continued their activities mentioned in the indictment that led to their arrest. That is why, in a democratic society, launching investigations against the applicants and the applicants’ arrest are necessary and appropriate to protect society, continue to live in peace, prevent violence and to prevail in the fight against terrorist organizations.”