Early day motion tabled by primary sponsor John Austin (Labour), on Monday, 11 May 2009, in the House of Commons. It is signed by 45 members in total.

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ARRESTS OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY PARTY MEMBERS IN TURKEY

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.

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Secondary information

Type

Early day motion

Reference

1462 

Session

2008-09

Other sponsors

Peter Bottomley

David Lepper

Andrew Dismore

Graham Stringer

Bob Russell

Subjects

Human rights Politics and government Middle East

Link

View this Early day motion on www.parliament.uk