Turkey: HDP co-leader loses party membership

By Aylin Sirikli

ANKARA

Opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-leader Figen Yuksekdag has lost party membership following her conviction on terrorism charges, judicial sources said Thursday.

Last month, Yuksekdag was also removed from her seat in the Turkish parliament after a Turkish top court had upheld Yuksekdag’s sentence on Sept. 22, 2016 on terrorism charges.

Yuksekdag had become ineligible for political party membership after the court upheld the sentence in accordance with the country’s constitution, the sources, who asked not to be named, said.

Yuksekdag was elected as a lawmaker from the eastern Van province in the country’s last elections in November 2015.

She was detained in November 2016 along with 13 other HDP deputies on terrorism-related charges. Ten of them, including the party’s other co-leader Selahattin Demirtas remain in custody pending trial.

The lawmakers began facing prosecution under an anti-terrorism legislation after their parliamentary immunity was lifted in March 2016.

Turkey’s government accuses the HDP of being linked to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.