Letter from ten senators to Biden – “Erdogan is responsible for the suppression of democracy”

U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and James Lankford (R-Okla.) led Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Angus King (I-Maine), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) in a letter urging President Biden to hold Turkey's President Erdogan accountable for his recent efforts to disenfranchise Turkey's Kurdish population, undercut political pluralism in the country, and tighten his grip on power through anti-democratic means.

The Senators begin, "We write with deep concern regarding the Turkish Constitutional Court's June 2021 decision to accept an indictment against the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), in an attempt to dissolve the country's third largest political party."

"We urge you to forcefully condemn President Erdogan's escalating efforts to disband the country's largest pro-Kurdish political party and to work with our EU partners to prevent further democratic backsliding in Turkey," they continue. They note, "Over the past several years, President Erdogan has undertaken a systematic campaign to restrict the rights of the HDP," and go on to detail the actions President Erdogan has taken. 

They close the letter, stating, "We urge you to uphold our national values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in our relations with Turkey and, in concert with our EU partners, ensure that President Erdogan understands that any attempt to disband the HDP or detain or bar from office its members will result in serious negative consequences for Turkey."

The full text of the letter is available below. 

Dear Mr. President:

We write with deep concern regarding the Turkish Constitutional...