Kilicdaroglu condemns continued detention of Demirtas, questions trustee regime

Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the opposition’s joint presidential candidate in Turkey has strongly criticized the continued imprisonment of Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas, the former Co-Chair of Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP) despite court decisions in his favor. In a recent statement, during an appearance in the "Open Microphone" program on YouTube, Kilicdaroglu declared, "Remaining silent in the face of injustice is being a mute devil."

Responding to criticism that Demirtas would be released if Kilicdaroglu were elected, he stated:

"Imagine that you believe an injustice has been done to you. The police come and arrest you. Someone, let's say a minister, is angry with you and says, 'Take this person, throw them in jail.' They take you, arrest you, the prosecutor gives instructions, and you are thrown into prison. You go to court, and the court acquits you, but it's still not over. They say, 'Never mind.' They tell you, 'Keep them inside, fabricate another crime.' Is this justice?"

Moreover, Kilicdaroglu raised concerns about the lack of implementation of rulings from both the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Constitutional Court.

He stressed that if these decisions are not enforced and he remains silent about it, it questions the very purpose of his involvement in politics.

“I always advocate for the independence and impartiality of the judiciary. The judiciary must be independent and impartial; it must make decisions based on laws, justice, the rule of law, and conscientious opinion. If a judge makes a decision under instructions, it is unacceptable," Kilicdaroglu said.

Furthermore, Kilicdaroglu addressed the issue of trustees appointed to HDP municipalities, responding to a participant who supported this practice.

"Do we want democracy or not? If we want democracy, did the local people elect a mayor? Yes, they did. Can the mayor commit a crime? Yes, they can. What do you do when they commit a crime? You gather evidence, present it to the court. They are tried and convicted. Does anyone object to this? No, they don't. Shouldn't it be like this? It should be like this.”