EU condemns Turkey’s move to ban pro-Kurdish HDP party

Officials defend the rights of millions of Turkish voters

Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a human rights advocate and lawmaker from the People's Democratic Party (HDP) stands in front with his colleagues sitting in support, after the parliament stripped his parliamShow more

The European Union condemned Turkey’s move to ban the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and suggested it could damage Ankara’s bid for membership of the bloc.

Brussels said it was “deeply concerned” by a Turkish prosecutor filing a case with the constitutional court to close the party, and the decision to strip one of its MPs and human rights defender Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu of his seat and parliamentary immunity.

"Closing the second largest opposition party would violate the rights of millions of voters in Turkey," said the EU's chief diplomat Josep Borrell and Oliver Varhelyi, the European commissioner responsible for overseeing the accession of prospective countries into the bloc, in a joint statement.

“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,” they said.

Mr Gergerlioglu is a vocal critic of the human rights record in Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Mr Gergerlioglu was found guilty of spreading “terrorist propaganda” in a 2016 social media post, which critics said was a serious violation of freedom of speech.

The criticism from Brussels came a day before EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel hold video talks with Mr Erdogan.

The Turkish leader has repeatedly clashed with the bloc and angered officials last year when he questioned the mental health of French President Emmanuel Macron.