Meeting in Berlin will discuss shortcomings of democracy in Turkey

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Germany will hold a meeting in Berlin on Tuesday to discuss the shortcomings of democracy in Turkey and the issue of political prisoners.

In a communication, the foundation said that the meeting has been intended as the first step in a series of meetings to be organized before the coming parliamentary and presidential elections in Turkey.

It added:

"The political system in Turkey has turned into an authoritative one under the administrations of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), as basic human rights and freedom of thought are no longer relevant. The implementation of an oppressive presidential system, the ending of the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary, and the creation of a single-voiced [government] media have crippled a democratic system that has always been frail."

Noting that the situation surrounding political prisoners has always been indicative of the political developments in Turkey, the organizers stated that the two major aims in organizing the meeting are informing the German public on recent developments in Turkey and to help build a network of solidarity between groups in Germany and Turkey focusing particularly on the grave issue of ill prisoners.

The speakers at the meeting will include Prof. Dr. Sebnem Korur Fincanci, the chair of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Sibel Yigitalp, former deputy for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Yusuf Cakas, member of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (OHD), Leyla Imret, former mayor of Turkey's Kurdish-majority city of Cizre and political exile, Dr. Errol Macit Babacan, researcher in Germany's Münster University.

The meeting will commence in the conference room of the foundation at 07:00 PM on 18 October. It will also be available for live viewing.

The Rosa-Luxemburg Foundation is one of the major political foundations in Germany, and it is closely linked to Die Linke, the German Left Party.

Address for the Rosa Luxembourg Foundation: Strasse der Pariser Kommune 8A 10243 Berlin