Erdogan’s ultranationalist ally calls on top court to close HDP

Erdogan’s ultranationalist ally calls on top court to close HDP
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Bahceli said the closure of the Peoples' Democratic Party is an honor of justice and democracy

Devlet Bahceli, the leader of far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) called on Turkey’s Constitutional Court to close down pro-Kurdish HDP.

“The closure of HDP is an honor of justice and democracy,” President Erdogan’s ultranationalist governing ally said during a parliamentary address to his lawmakers on Tuesday, T24 reported.

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Turkish parliament’s third largest party with 56 deputies is facing closure for alleged terror links with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a claim that it denies.

The Constitutional Court on Jan.5 has ruled to temporarily block HDP’s Treasury funding accounts as part of the closure case, a move that would be a major blow to the pro-Kurdish party ahead of this year’s parliamentary and presidential elections.

Blaming the HDP of funding the PKK, Bahceli said if not closed, the party would transfer Turkish nation’s taxes to the Qandil mountains [Northern Iraq] where the PKK maintains its headquarters and the group would buy more bullets with that money.

Bahceli also slammed Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the main opposition CHP due to his criticism of HDP’s closure case.

“Kilicdaroglu came under the control of the PKK,” he said.

Last week Kilicdaroglu said the closure of political parties is a tradition of military regimes and they’re no longer closed in democracies.

“We do not accept any undemocratic practices such as closing the parties or blocking their government funding. We do not find it right," he said.