EU calls for Demirtaş‘s release

The European Union expressed, on Thursday, its hope to release the Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş soon amid increasing western criticism of Ankara’s performance in the human rights file.

22 November, 2018 14:09

NEWS DESK

The European Union called for releasing the former co-chair of the Democratic Peoples Party Selahattin Demirtaş soon.

The Justice and Development Party’s authorities have been arresting Demirtaş who is one of the most famous politicians in Turkey since November 2016; Demirtaş has been sentenced for 4 years and 9 months in prison in last September.

The EU Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini revealed during a visit to Ankara saying, “We hope that he would be released soon”, recalling that the European Court for Human Rights called this week for his release.

For his part, the EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Affairs Johannes Hahn after talks with the Turkish foreign minister said that Europeans have deep fears over the big number of journalists and academicians who are still detained in Turkey.

Erdogan has launched an attack against the European Court for Human Rights, on Wednesday, after it called for Demirtaş’s release.

ANHA