Turkey: Joint Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi on latest actions regarding the

The European Union is deeply concerned about the decision to strip Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu of his parliamentary seat and parliamentary immunity and his imminent incarceration as well as the lawsuit initiated by the Court of Cassation’s prosecutor requesting the HDP closure.

Closing the second largest opposition party would violate the rights of millions of voters in Turkey. It adds to the EU’s concerns regarding the backsliding in fundamental rights in Turkey and undermines the credibility of the Turkish authorities’ stated commitment to reforms.

As an EU candidate country and a member of the Council of Europe, Turkey urgently needs to respect its core democratic obligations, including respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law.