EU Turkey Rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor, European Parliament member Laura Castel, former Swedish Left Party Chair Jonas Sjöstedt, Swedish Left Party Spokesperson Hokan Svenneling and European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Thijs Reuten spoke to journalist Erem Kansoy about the sentence in the Kobanê case.

Nacho Sanchez Amor

The results of the Kobane case were a sad day for democracy in Turkey. I can say that it is a disaster for Turkey's democratization process. It is very simple to understand: if you want to be a part of the EU, a genuine effort is required to democratize the country. There is no shortcut. Turkey should solve the Kurdish question.

Jonas Sjöstedt- Former Chair Swedish Left Party

We are very concerned about the sentence against Selahattin Demirtaş, Figen Yüksekdağ and their friends. This situation has nothing to do with justice. These penalties are aimed at suppressing the voices of left-wing and Kurdish people fighting for a democratic Turkey. We want the immediate release of thousands of political prisoners in Turkey. For a real democracy, political prisoners must first be released. For a democratic Turkey, Kurdish rights must first be respected. This judgment is illegal. In addition, a decision was made in this case that was exactly opposite to the comments of the European Court of Human Rights.

Laura Castel- MEP

We are very concerned about the decisions taken in the Kobanê case. On behalf of the Catalonia Left Party, we condemn the sentence against the HDP and other politicians. We renew our call for the release of Selahattin Demirtaş, and we strongly condemn these sentences.

Hokan Svenneling- Spokesperson Swedish Left Party

We are very angry with Turkey's court decisions. We see that Erdoğan is moving away from democracy day by day. We want Europe and Sweden to react urgently. We must condemn Turkey and ban it from the Council of Europe. We think that the dialogue between Sweden and Turkey regarding membership in the European Union should be suspended.