Former MP Kaya to remain imprisoned

In a recent turn of events that has raised concerns over the state of the rule of law in Turkey, Huda Kaya, a former MP for the HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party), was detained and subsequently arrested at Istanbul Airport as part of the controversial Kobanê investigation. The arrest occurred on November 1, just minutes before she was scheduled to board an international flight.

Zilan Leventoglu, the lawyer representing Kaya, has strongly objected to how Kaya's detention and subsequent arrest were carried out. Despite Kaya's repeated requests to testify before her departure, she was taken into custody and later arrested, prompting Leventoglu to challenge the decision.

"Our appeal against Huda Kaya's detention decision was rejected sloppily and arbitrarily," Leventoglu stated, dismayed at the judicial process. The decision has been criticized as evidence of the judiciary's departure from the principle of the rule of law.

Kaya, who served as an HDP MP for Istanbul, was detained under the instructions of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in connection with the Kobanê investigation initiated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. She was arrested and sent to Marmara Prison on the same day as her detention.

Kaya has contested the motives behind her arrest, labeling it a "political trap" orchestrated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. She pointed out that since the end of her term in parliament, she had freely entered and exited the country, dismissing any notion that she was attempting to flee. She also noted that a "fugitive" warrant was issued against her on September 27 and that her requests to testify until her arrest were repeatedly postponed.

In a personal message shared from prison via her social media account, Kaya conveyed her thoughts: "Dear brothers and sisters, I am being held in a single room, but I know I am not alone. [...] I wanted to greet all my free people, friends, brothers, and sisters who send their greetings, love, and prayers and show solidarity. Thank you!"

The HDP Istanbul Provincial Organization responded to Kaya's arrest, describing it as "a continuation of the ongoing political slaughter operations." The statement also emphasized that the party will persevere and unite against what they perceive as governmental attacks.