Selahattin Demirtaş

A Turkish penal court on Jan. 7 approved indictments for 108 defendants on Jan. 7, including former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtaş, as part of a probe into the deadly 2014 Kobane incidents across the nation.

Turkish prosecutors on Dec. 30 prepared an indictment against 108 suspects including former co-chairs of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) as part of a probe into deadly terror attacks in 2014.

Turkish prosecutors have prepared an indictment against 108 people, including former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, in connection with the 2014 incidents.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has reiterated his criticism of a verdict by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that urges Turkey for the immediate release of Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-leader of the People's Democratic Party (HDP), stating that the court's decision is not in line with its other rulings for other countries.

An appeal for the release of former Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, which is filed by his lawyers after the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that objected to the politician's detention, was rejected by Ankara 7th Criminal Court of Peace on Dec. 26.

Devlet Bahçeli, the head of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu have slammed a verdict by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the release of the former co-leader of the People's Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtaş, who they both has categorized as a "terrorist."

President Tayyip Erdogan accused Europe's top rights court of hypocrisy on Wednesday for calling on Turkey to release a jailed Kurdish politician, saying it was defending a "terrorist," a stance rejected by his defenders as a cover to stifle democracy.

Supporter of Selahattin Demirtas holding a picture of of Demirtas at an election campaign office in Istanbul, June 17 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

The European rights court said his detention for more than four years has sent a "dangerous message" to Turkish people and was "merely a cover for an ulterior political purpose".

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that a call by the European Court of Human Rights for the release of Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas was hypocritical and only Turkish courts can rule on his case.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Dec. 22 ruled that the arrest of Turkey's opposition politician Selahattin Demirtaş in 2017 for terror charges violated his freedom of expression and right to participate in elections.

The Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) co-leader was being deprived of the rights to liberty, security, and freedom of choice, the ruling said.