Closure of Turkey's Kurdish party would be major setback for EU accession (Ilford South Liberal Democrats)

Ilford South Liberal Democrats <info@libdems.org.uk>

Closure of Turkey's Kurdish party would be major setback for EU accession

December 11, 2009 5:04 PM
Originally published by Sarah Ludford MEP

The possible closure of the Kurdish interest party in Turkey, the Democratic Society Party (DTP), would be a major blow to Turkey's democratic credentials and therefore to its prospects of joining the EU. Hearings on the closure case began on December 9th in Turkey's Constitutional Court.

The DTP is threatened with closure - a ban of the party and all its elected representatives - due to allegations of ties with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, the PKK, which is branded a terrorist group.

Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford said after meeting Akif Wan, UK representative of the Kurdish National Congress:

"Turkish courts and other authorities need to be mindful of the danger that if they suppress a Kurdish political party, the arguments for a resort to war again in the South-East will grow, however unacceptable such a move. A full transition to democracy helps strengthen the protection against threats to the country. "

"Those of us in the EU and Turkey who champion Turkey's prospective EU membership will find it that much harder if a ban is decided. Last year the Court wisely decided not to ban the ruling AK party, so I hope wisdom will once again prevail."

"Reports claim that the prison conditions of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan have worsened and that he is deprived of space and light. If true, this could bring a reaction from the Council of Europe Committee on Torture, which would harm Turkey's reputation. There is no justification for inhumane detention conditions."

Sarah Ludford MEP is a patron of the Peace in Kurdistan campaign and seeks a political solution for the Kurdish question. She was one of the guest speakers at the Fifth Annual Conference on EU, Turkey and the Kurds held by the EU Turkey Civic Commission in January 2009.

ENDS