Response To Attempted Coup In Turkey

EDM number 654 in 2016-17, proposed by Ann Clwyd on 07/11/2016.
Categorised under the topics of Administration of justice, Eastern Europe, International politics and government, Middle East and Political parties.

That this House is shocked by the arrest and detention of a number of Turkish Members of Parliament from the People's Democratic Party (HDP), including Co-Chairs on 4 November 2016 Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yüksekdag, which threaten to undermine parliamentary democracy and social cohesion in Turkey; is very concerned that developments in recent months have gone far beyond what could be considered proportionate in response to the coup attempt in July 2016 and that emergency powers since granted are being used to stifle the media, crush dissent and override legal process; notes with alarm that since July 2016 thousands have been jailed, over 100,000 government workers dismissed or suspended and over 100 media outlets closed because of alleged connections to the Gullen movement, as well as the closure of dozens of Kurdish-language newspapers and news channels and the sacking and detention of many elected mayors in south-east Turkey; calls on the Turkish government to end its persecution and prosecution of legitimate critics and opposition, as well as to resume the peace process to end the continuing conflict in south-east Turkey; and further calls on the Government to issue a statement and make representations to its Turkish counterparts as a matter of urgency.

This motion has been signed by a total of 25 MPs.