Arrests Of Democratic Society Party Members In Turkey

EDM number 1462 in 2008-09, proposed by John Austin on 11/05/2009.
Categorised under the topics of Human rights, International politics and government and Middle East.

That this House is concerned about the recent wave of arrests in Turkey of members of the Democratic Society Party (DTP), a legal political party which, in the recent Turkish local elections, achieved a resounding endorsement from Kurdish voters; notes that the Party's success awakened hope for many millions of Kurds that their voice would be heard in Turkish politics; regrets that in responding to the DTP's electoral victories with repression, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is revealing itself to be little different from previous administrations which have refused to acknowledge the existence of a Kurdish issue and thus offered no solutions for resolving it; believes that it is the duty of all those who seek peace and stability in Turkey to support the responsible calls for a just democratic solution to the issue of the rights of the Kurdish people; calls for the immediate release of all those DTP members who have been arrested; and urges the UK Government to put the utmost diplomatic pressure on Turkey to turn away from conflict and to open negotiations with DTP leaders forthwith as it believes the DTP has a key role to play in any peace process and bringing stability to the region.

This motion has been signed by a total of 45 MPs.