HDP co-chair Mithat Sancar has issued an initial statement on the acceptance of the indictment to ban his party. Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting of the executive committee in Ankara, Sancar called it a "political campaign" and accused the Turkish leadership of agitation against his party. "The ban proceedings were opened at the end of a political campaign that lasted for months, he said and remarked the indictment was not prepared by the prosecutor's office, but by the MHP and the presidential palace. "We are defended by our people," he said.

On Monday, Turkey's Constitutional Court has accepted an indictment seeking to ban the HDP. The indictment equates the HDP with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and accuses it of undermining the "indivisible integrity of the Turkish state." The top court convened at 10:00 this morning for the first review of the indictment prepared by the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation, Bekir Şahin to shutter the HDP. In a hurry, the court accepted the HDP indictment, and rejected to seize party’s assets. The indictment had been submitted to the Constitutional Court on June 7.

The driving force behind the ban is the AKP's coalition partner, the far-right MHP with its leader Devlet Bahçeli. It has been aggressively pushing for a ban on the HDP for some time, because this is the only way "to effectively fight the PKK." In the 850-page indictment, the prosecutor appointed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan calls for a permanent ban on the HDP and a political ban on 451 people.

"The Constitutional Court should have rejected the indictment. By accepting it in an atmosphere of bloody violence and chaos and plans to crush democratic politics, it has missed a historic opportunity for democracy, social peace and freedom," Sancar said. The politician also referred to Thursday's attack on the HDP office in Izmir, western Turkey, in which staff member Deniz Poyraz was killed by an avowed MHP supporter. The government is targeting the party, Sancar said. Erdoğan and Bahçeli repeatedly refer to HDP politicians as "terrorists."

"We will defend the HDP until the last moment, preserve and strengthen it," Sancar said. The politician answered a journalist's question as to whether the HDP had a party dissolution on its agenda, as claimed by the media, in order to avert the lawsuit, by saying, "These are pure speculations, which we reject in this form. We are determined to continue our march to defend and preserve our party. Our goal is to participate in the democratization of this country in the role as part of the government."

The rest of the proceedings

The proceedings to ban the HDP may drag on for several months. In the next step, the indictment must be served on the party. The HDP must submit its preliminary defense within a deadline given by the Constitutional Court or request an extension. After the preliminary defense is sent in, the chief public prosecutor Bekir Şahin will make a statement to the court. This statement will then be sent back to the HDP and an oral hearing will be held.

The decision to ban the HDP depends on a two-thirds majority in the Constitutional Court's 15-member panel. The decision of the Constitutional Court is binding; the European Court of Human Rights cannot stop the proceedings, but it can condemn Turkey on the basis of a violation of the law.

Ban on politics demanded for 451 politicians

In the proceedings, a ban on political activity is demanded for a total of 451 politicians. The persons concerned are as follows: Selahattin Demirtaş, Pervin Buldan, Sezai Temelli, Mithat Sancar, Sebahat Tuncel, Figen Yüksekdağ Şenoğlu, Dersim Dağ, Enise Çoban Güneyli, Leyla Güven, Mahmut Celadet Gaydalı, Mehmet Ruştu Tiryaki, Salihe Aydeniz, Tuğba Hezer Öztürk, Ziya Pir, Mehmet Emin İlhan, Mizgin Irgat, Remziye Tosun, Adil Zozani, Halil Aksoy, Özdal Üçer, Abdullah Zeydan, Burcu Çelik Özkan, Hatice Kocaman (Seviptekin), Leyla Birlik, Gülüstan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Hüseyin Kaçmaz, Remzi Özgökçe, Sait Dede, Zeynel Özen, Hasan Özgüneş, Demir Çelik, Dilek Öcalan, Erdal Aydemir, Ali Atalan, Leyla Zana, Esat Canan, İdris Baluken, Lezgin Botan, Mehmet Ali Aslan, Kemal Aktaş, İmam Taşçıer, Ömer Öcalan, Habip Eksik, Nusrettin Maçin, Ayşe Sürücü, Mensur Işık, Ahmet Yıldırım, Ayla Akat Ata, Berdan Öztürk, Çağlar Demirel, Dilşat Canbaz Kaya, Faysal Sarıyıldız, Hüsamettin Zenderlioğlu, İbrahim Binici, Kıznaz Türkeli, Mahmut Toğrul, Muazzez Orhan Işık, Musa Farisoğulları, Nadir Yıldırım, Necdet İpekyüz, Sıdık Taş, Şevin Coşkun, Adem Geveri, Ahmet Şık, Behçet Yıldırım, Hasip Kaplan, Mehmet Emin Adıyaman, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, Selma Irmak, Semra Güzel, Yurdusev Özsökmenler, Abdullah Levent Tüzel, Altan Tan, Aysel Tuğluk, Besime Konca, Ertuğrul Kürkçü, Hişyar Özsoy, Murat Sarısaç, Nazmi Gür, Nursel Aydoğan, Pero Dundar, Rıdvan Turan, Saadet Becerekli, Ziya Çalışkan, Nimetullah Erdoğmuş, Nuran İmir, Aycan İrmez, Dirayet Dilan Taşdemir, Osman Baydemir, Feleknas Uca, Musa Piroğlu, Şafak Özanli, Erol Dora, Mülkiye Birtane, Serpil Kemalbay Pekgözegü, Hüda Kaya, Edibe Şahin, Filiz Kerestecioğlu Demir, Ebrü Günay, Fatma Kurtulan, Alican Önlü, Çilem Küçükkeleş, Emine Beyza Üstün, Kemal Bülbül, Murat Çepni, Sibel Yiğitalp, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Tayip Temel, Ayşe Acar Başaran, Edib Berk, Ferhat Encu, Gülser Yıldırım, Hakkı Saruhan Oluç, Kemal Peköz, Meral Danış Beştaş, Nihat Akdoğan, Seher Akçınar Bayar, Tulay Hatımoğulları Oruç, Abdulmelik Okyay, Arife Köse, Aydın Çetinkaya, Ayfer Fatma Çelik, Aylin Hacaloğlu, Ayşe Merva Aytemür, Ayşe Yağcı, Ayşenur Vaizoğlu, Baran Nayır, Bayram Yılmaz, Bercan Aktaş, Burhan Karakoç, Cafer Koluman, Cengiz Koyuncu, Cengiz Yürekli, Cihan Erdal, Dilan Çetin, Esengül Demir, Fırat Yaman, Gülşen Özer, Hatice Kavran, Hüsamettin Özdem, Mazlum Karagöz, Mehmet Eşref Mamedoğlu, Mehmet Tarhan, Mehmet Zeki Altın, Yüksel Akgün, Zeynep Karaman, Nurcan Karasu, Osman Demirci, Elif Torun Öneren, Aleddin Erdoğan, Benazir Coşkun, Gülsüm Ağaoğlu, Nadiye Gürbüz, Hidayet Enmek, İsmail Şengül, Remzi Kozakçı, Salim Kaplan, Fırat Keser, Kasım Çalışkan, Mahmut Çiftçi, Memet Doymaz, Cengiz Çiçek, Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, Cafer Çelik, Bülent Uyguner, Nimet Sezgin, Nuri İşbilir, Osman Ergin, Ruhşen Mahmutoğlu, Süleyman Kemal Atakan, Hatice Akdağ, Hatice Büşra Kuyun, Hazal Karabey, Ali Ürküt, Bülent Barmaksız, Şeyma Kantarcı, Zarife Karasungur, Zeki Çelik, Berna Çelik, Halef Yiğit, Haluk Çeliktaş, Perihan Hoşoğlu, Yunus Parım, Ali Deniz Esen, Yuhanna Aktaş, Günay Kubilay, Hüseyin Gözen, Cahit Kırkazak, Mustafa Sarısülük, Ayfer Demirel, Bedriye Yorgun, Can Memiş, Cengiz Topbaşlı, Coşkun Üsterci, Dilek Aykan, Dilek Yağlı, Doğan Erbaş, Ekber Kaya, Ekrem Savcı, Elmas Çinar, Emine Kaya, Emine Ülker, Ercan Arslan, Ferhat Tarhan, Filiz Koçali, Gülay Koca Öztürkoğlu, Hacay Yılmaz, Hamit Geylani, Hüseyin Güngör, Hüseyin Koçuk, Hüseyin Taka, Hüseyin Yılmaz, İbrahim Sinemillioğlu, İhsan Coşkun, İzzet Karadağ, Mehmet Ali Yiğit, Meliha Varışli, Melis Emine Tantan, Metin Özbadem, Pervin Oduncu, Seher Kadiroğlu, Semra Demir, Şadiye Kırmızıgül, Şerife Yıldırım, Abdulselam Demirkıran, Alican Uçarcan, Ayşe Berktay Hacımirzaoğlu, Ayşe Erdem, Barış Karabıyık, Berfin Can, Berfin Özgü Köse, Berkat Kar, Betül Ünsal, Celalettin Can, Gonca Yangöz, İlknur Birol, Lale İnci Hekimoğlu, Mahmut Akbaş, Mehmet Hüsamettin Yürek, Nurettin Turğut, Ömer Önen, Pınar Aydınlar, Rabia Tekas, Ramazan Holat, Roza Kahya, Seçkin Kır, Selahattin Yılmaz, Serhat Aktumur, Sevim Akdağ, Seyithan Kırmızı, Sinem Varlı Hanazay, Sıtkı Güngör, Şehriban Zuğurli, Şerif Adlım, Tuna Aydın, Zahide Besi, Zelal Yerlikaya, Alp Altınörs, Ercan Kanar, Mehmet Akgül, Ferhat Tunç Yoslun, Hatice Altınışık, İsmet Yalçınkaya, Züleyha Gülüm, Tuma Çelik, Mehmet Şahin Altan, Gülfer Akkaya, Ali Özkan, Garo Paylan, Oya Ersoy, Mutlu Öztürk, Bircan Yorulmaz, Fatma Gök, Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı, Bedia Özgökçe Ertan, Ahmet Türk, Ahmet Kaya, Betül Yaşar, Dilaver Kesik, Feyme Filiz Buluttekin, Hasan Safa, Mustafa Akkul, Naşide Toprak, Tarık Mercan, Ülkü Karaaslan Duman, Remziye Yaşar, Diba Keskin, Mehmet Fatih Taş, Yıldız Çetin, Rojda Nazlier, Keziban Yılmaz Askar, Orhan Ayaz, Semire Nergiz, Mehmet Zırığ, Caziye Duman, Gülistan Öncü, Ayhan Bilgen, Cihan Karaman, Nilüfer Elik Yılmaz, Azim Yacan, Orhan Çelebi, Mülkiye Esmez, Belgin Diken, Adnan Topçu, Erkan Acar, Hatice Çevik, Nalan Özaydın, Yakup Almaç, Yılmaz Şalan, Bekir Polat, Berivan Helen Işık, Casim Budak, Hikmet Taşdemir, Ramazan Sarsılmaz, Serhat Çiçek, Yaşar Akkuş, Günfer Karadeniz, Abuzer Küçükkelepçe, Adnan Ertuğrul, Barış Caniş, Hatice Güven (Aslan), Hayrettin Şen, Karip Erdovan, Mehmet Bayram, Muhamet Deveci, Mustafa (Gürü) Toprak, Nahide Doğan, Sıraceddin Hesass, Şaban Elbir, Şerafettin Keklik, Vedat Duru, Veysel Saka, Zeki Alaca, Zeki Çelepkolu, Mehmet Cüneyt Anar, Serhat Göze, Güner Kökat, Özlem Tunç, Yaşar Yılmaz Altunbilek, Yücel Yetişkin, Ali Alper, Semra Akçalı, Cuma Ali Kaya, Fesih Balbey, Ahmet Aslan, Muzaffer Ulaş, Mustafa Alımterim, Mehmet Abidin Karaman, Sevim Coşkun, Mehtap Metin, Vahap Günay, Abdulgani Alkan, Selma Metin, Mehmet Yaşar Tanrıkulu, Remziye Sızıcı, Nevzat Sertaç Özgen, Hülya Biçen, Mustafa Akengin, Kemal Baran, Semra Akgül, Ahmet İlan, Ali Atman, Mehmet Sayit Demir, Eyüp Koşar, Kadriye Akalın, Mehmet Sıdık Menge, Mehmet Menge, Demet Özkaran, Eylem Ceylan, Suat Mustafa Şenci, Erkan Erenci, Ramazan Kaval, Nurettin Bakan, Mehmet Şerif Camcı, Murat Kılıç, İbrahim Ergin, Müzeyyen Belke, Selahattin Karatoprak, Yaşar Arat, Birgül Demirel (Yanı), Gögerçin Aras, Yıldız Bahçeci, Şahin Çoban, Sıraç Turğa, Seydi Pektaş, Ahmet Yılmaz, Bedri Arslan, Kadriye Tören, Ömer Özkan, Murad Öndeş, Ayten Yılmaz, Mubarek Babat, Murat Kılınç, Semra Çelik, Ahmet Cavit Uğur, Ayfer Yılmaz, Cafer Bulut, Fikret Fuat Kart, Güngör Didar Gül, Maşuk Arpaç, Mehmet Sürer, Metin Eren, Mustafa Celep, Necibe İlhan, Nigar Duru, Niyazi Yalçınkaya, Servet Ziyanak, Sevgi Altunkılıç, Seyithan Kılıç, Sinan Odabaş, Baran Akgül, Beşir Belke, Ercan Yıldırım, Erdal Morkoç, Ersoy Erdoğan, Eyyup Kurt, Feyyaz Başak, Gülseren Tural, Gülsimet Önal, Halit İpekyüz, Handan Karakoyun, İsmail Morkoç, Keziban Bulak, M. Sait Eren, Maşallah Beyret, Mehmet Emin Kılıcarslan, Mehmet Eren, Mehmet Tutuş, Muhittin Yılmaz, Murat Şahin, Nadire Kılıç, Osman Vargün, Rifat Sarıkaya, Seval Çadırcı, Şengül Duman, Turgut Bayramhan, Yadişen Karabulak, Yüksel Seyitvan, Mecit Sargut, Mehmet Nuri Çiçek, Necla Tartan, Menice Rumeysa Gülmez, Aycan Altın, Hüseyin Gevher, Hamza Ağırman, Bahar (Behice) Orhan, Ecevit Ceylancı, Dilan Örenci, Leyla Balkan, Abdurrahman Çağan and Müslüm Acar.