Altan Tan

Former co-chairs of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, have been handed substantial prison sentences in the case stemming from events dating back to the 2014 protests that erupted into deadly clashes in eastern Türkiye.

A Turkish court ordered on Sept. 19 the continuation of arrest for all journalists, including Nazlı Ilıcak, Ahmet Altan and Mehmet Altan, after a second hearing in the case into the alleged "media leg" of what prosecutors call the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ). The trial was postponed to Nov. 13.

Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has said the detention and arrest of many HDP members could be part of a government plan to block and stigmatize the party's activities ahead of the referendum on shifting Turkey to an executive presidential system. 

Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) spokesperson and Kars deputy Ayhan Bilgen was released on Jan. 29 after being briefly detained by police in the Turkish capital Ankara.
  

Turkey's opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) spokesperson and Kars deputy Ayhan Bilgen was detained early on Jan. 29 at Ankara Esenboğa Airport as he was set to fly to Istanbul. 

Bilgen tweeted about his detention and said he was told he would be taken to the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. 

A ?blame game? has started after political scientist and columnist Mümtazer Türköne wrote an article in daily Zaman 10 days ago with the title ?Is Islamism finished?? referring to the Islamist movement in Turkey.

The Justice and Development Party?s (AKP) Kurdish Quran translation was printed hastily despite numerous errors in an effort to garner popular support ahead of the June 7 elections, according to theologian and Kurdologist Kadri Y?ld?r?m, who is also an MP candidate from the Peoples? Democratic Party (HDP).

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has repeated his call on the government to carry out efforts to solve Turkey’s decades-old Kurdish insurgency under the roof of Parliament, rather than in talks “behind closed doors.”