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Democratic Society Party closure case

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The closure case of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) between 2007 and 2009 the DTP was against a pro-Kurdish political party in Turkey which was accused of opposing the unity of the country and having links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The case was opened in September 2007 and resulted in the closure of the party in December 2009. The DTP was the 25th political party which was banned in the Turkish Republic since 1962.[1]

Background

Turkey has opposed Kurdish political rights in the past and banned several pro-Kurdish parties since 1991.[2] The pro-Kurdish parties Democracy Party (DEP), People's Labor Party (HEP), People's Democracy Party (HADEP) have been closed before.[2] At the same time of the DTP closure case, also the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Recep Tayyip Erdogan was facing a closure trial.[3]

Requirements

For the closure of a party the Constitutional court of Turkey needs a ruling of a qualified majority which in the closure case of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) meant a majority of 7 judges out of 11.[4]

Trial

Indictment

On the 16 September 2007, the state prosecutor of the Supreme Court Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya submitted an indictment before Constitutional Court demanding the closure of the DTP.[1] In the indictment the prosecutor reasoned that the speeches and actions of the party were against the unity of the state[5] which was contrary to the Turkish Constitution and the Law on Political Parties.[6] The prosecution also requested a political ban for 221 party members of the DTP.[2] The state prosecutor Abdurrahman Yalcinkaya repeated his demand for the closure of the party in June 2008.[4]

Defense

The DTP submitted her written defense in June 2008 arguing that 129 of 141 evidences provided by the prosecution should be viewed in light of freedom of expression.[6] After the DTP requested more time for an oral defense, the court ordered that the date for the oral defense on the 16 September 2008.[7] In the oral defense, the DTP-chairman Ahmet Türk argued that the court should take into consideration the values of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Venice Commission and opposed the use of weapons to solve the problems of the country and urged for a democratic solution.[8]

Further developments

After the DTP suggested an autonomy in Southeast Anatolia in order to find a solution to the Kurdish Turkish conflict, the state prosecutor pressured the Court of Cassation to ban the party in early November 2009.[9] The Turkish politician Devlet Bahçeli of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supported the party prosecution[3] while just days before the verdict the Human Rights Association of Turkey demanded a democratic solution for the Kurdish Question in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.[10]

Verdict

On the 11 December 2009 the Court of Cassation under the presidency of Haşim Kılıç banned the party with eleven votes, thus making it an unanimous decision.[11] Kılıç reasoned that there was no difference between the PKK and the DTP and that nowhere in the world a terrorist organization had the right to express itself freely.[1] Additionally to the closure, thirty-seven politicians received a five-year ban on political activities.[11] Among the notable politicians targeted with the political ban were the party co-Chairs Ahmet Türk and Aysel Tugluk,[1] and Nurettin Demirtas, Hüseyin Kalkan, Leyla Zana, Musa Farisoğulları, Nurettin Demirtaş, and Selim Sadak.[12]

Aftermath

The parties properties were transferred to the Turkish treasury.[13] The party closure was contrary to the aims of the Government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) which supported a political solution.[14] The remaining politicians of the DTP announced their withdrawal from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, but on request of Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) the politicians returned to the assembly.[15] The party closure was contrary to the aims of the Government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) which supported a political solution.[14]

Appeal before the European Court of Human Rights

In January 2010 Hasip Kaplan, a former member of the DTP appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.[13] In 2016 the ECHR ruled that the speeches and actions by the DTP politicians were not seen as support of Abdullah Öcalan or the Kurdistan Workers' Partys even though that the Co-Presidents of the DTP refused to call the PKK a terrorist organization[16] and ordered Turkey to pay a monetary compensation of 30'000€ to each of the two Co-Chairs.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Turkey: Kurdish Party Banned". Human Rights Watch. 2009-12-11. Retrieved 2021-12-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c Idil, Nese (2021-03-18). "History repeats itself: Turkey seeks closure of a pro-Kurdish party - yet again". Gazete Duvar. Retrieved 2021-12-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ a b Kürkçü, Nilüfer Zengin (19 March 2008). "AKP was Silent in DTP Closure Trial". Bianet. Retrieved 1 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b "The Prosecutor Says Close The Democratic Society Party". Bianet. 24 June 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Call to ban pro-Kurdish party in Turkey". European Parliament. Retrieved 2021-12-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b "DTP Submits Its Defense". Bianet. 13 June 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "The Court Postpones DTP's Closure Defense". Bianet. 24 June 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "DTP Submits Its Oral Defense". Bianet. 16 September 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Turkish Prosecutor Moves to Ban Pro-Kurd Political Party". Voice of America. 1 November 2009. Retrieved 28 November 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "İHD: Democratic Society Party Essential for Democratic Initiative". 9 December 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ a b Strittmatter, Kai (17 May 2010). "Verfassungsgericht verbietet Kurdenpartei". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 2021-11-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Turkey's Constitutional Court closes DTP - Hurriyet Daily News". web.archive.org. Hürriyet. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 2021-12-01.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ a b Üstündağ, Erhan (22 January 2010). "DTP Closure Case at ECHR". Bianet.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ a b Korkut, Tolga (18 December 2009). "Interior Minister Atalay: We Are against the DTP Closure". Bianet. Retrieved 1 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ Yeğen, Mesut (2015). "The Kurdish Peace Process in Turkey: Genesis, Evolution and Prospects" (PDF). www.files.ethz.ch. p. 7. Retrieved 29 January 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  16. ^ a b "Party for a Democratic Society (DTP) and Others v. Turkey - 3840/10, 3870/10, 3878/10 et al" (PDF). European Court of Human Rights. 1 December 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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