Leyla Birlik

A former MP for the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey has expressed her intention to apply for asylum in Greece.

Leyla Birlik, 44, was arrested by Greek police in the northeastern border town of Orestiada on Wednesday for illegal entry to the country.

A prosecutor subsequently ordered her release until her asylum request has been examined.

Turkey's opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Leyla Birlik, who was arrested earlier in the southeastern  province of Şırnak was released on Jan. 4, according to judicial sources.

Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputies Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar visited arrested party deputies, including HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, on Dec. 3 and 4. 

The visits came after the Turkish Justice Ministry's 1,5-month ban on visits to arrested deputies of the party was lifted. 

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) will apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) if all legal avenues are exhausted in Turkey regarding their arrested deputies.

Nine lawmakers from Turkey's opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), including its co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, were arrested on Nov. 4 in a probe that was launched against 14 of the party's lawmakers over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Eight lawmakers from Turkey's opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), including its co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, were arrested on Nov. 4 in a probe that was launched against 14 of the party's lawmakers over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

European Union envoys in Ankara met on Nov. 4, under the head of the EU delegation to Turkey, over People's Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairs, lawmakers are detained as part of "terrorism" investigations.

The ambassadors of EU member states are believed to be discussing a joint stance against the detentions, which they fear threaten further instability for the country.

Five lawmakers from the Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), including its co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, were arrested on Nov. 4. The probes were launched over the lawmakers' alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Eleven lawmakers from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have been detained for failing to appear in response to summons by prosecutors asking for testimony in a terrorism propaganda case, a government office said in a written statement early Nov 4. 

Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, the co-leaders of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and 10 lawmakers from the party were detained early on Nov. 4 in a move that threatens further instability for the country.