EP Rapporteur on Turkey visits officials of CHP and HDP

Nacho Sanchez Amor, European Parliament Standing Rapporteur on Turkey, met with the officials of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Tuesday.

Nacho Sanchez Amor had a 30-minute meeting with CHP chair Kemal Kilicdaroglu in Turkish capital Ankara, Birgun reported.

Ozgur Ozel, the deputy chair of CHP's parliamentary group, and Unal Cevikoz, the party's foreign policy chief advisor, were present in the meeting at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM).

Nacho Sanchez Amor visited the headquarters of HDP to meet with party co-chair Mithat Sancar and the party's foreign relations commission co-chair Feleknas Uca.

"Increasing attacks against the party, the closure case in the Constitutional Court, the social impact of the severe isolation imposed on Abdullah Ocalan, and the coming parliamentary and presidential elections were discussed," HDP said in a statement.

Nacho Sanchez Amor recently reacted to a Turkish court's decision to sentence Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu to nearly three years in prison over allegedly "insulting public officials." He said on 14 December:

"It seemed unconceivable but now it's done: Ekrem Imamoglu, mayor of Istanbul sentenced to 2 years+7 month prison and a political ban for allegedly 'insulting a public official!' Justice in Turkey is in a calamitous state, grossly used for political purposes. Very sad day."