Serpil Kemalbay

Serpil Kemalbay, the former co-leader of the country’s Kurdish issue-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), was released from arrest on Feb. 20 after being detained one week before over her opposition to Turkey’s ongoing military engagement in northern Syria. 

Former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-leader Serpil Kemalbay was detained in the capital Ankara on Feb. 13 for allegedly “spreading terrorist propaganda” during a party congress, according to a security source.

The Kurdish-question focused People's Democratic Party (HDP) held a grand meeting in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır titled "Justice, Conscience and Democracy" in protest of the current state of democracy in Turkey and arrests of its lawmakers.

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) wants a "terror-free and democratic Turkey," its leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said during a visit to the Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), as part of his bid to consolidate opponents of the constitutional amendment passed in the April referendum.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has instructed his party's overseas organizations to intensify their works "as if the elections will be held tomorrow," despite still having two years to the  parliamentary and presidential elections.

Serpil Kemalbay, who has been serving as acting co-chair since March 12, was elected as Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party HDP's new co-chair on May 20, Doğan News Agency has reported. 

The Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) will hold an extraordinary congress on May 20 to fulfill its legal procedures and elect a new co-chair to replace the jailed Figen Yüksekdağ, who lost her parliament seat in February and party membership in March after being sentenced to 10 months in jail on terror-related charges.