Top court rejects HDP’s request to adjourn closure case

urkey’s Constitutional Court on Thursday has unanimously rejected pro-Kurdish HDP’s application to suspend all proceedings over the closure case until the elections.

The HDP was called to make a defense behind the court on March 14 over the closure case, Diken news website reported.

The 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.

On Tuesday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s governing ally Devlet Bahceli, who frequently urges the top court to close down the HDP, accused the Constitutional Court of “aiding terrorism” by accepting to review HDP’s request for the postponement of the closure case.

In response to Bahceli’s remarks, HDP’s co-Chair Mithat Sancar on Wednesday said that the ultranationalist MHP leader has "blackmailed" and "threatened" the Constitutional Court.

“This should not be perceived as a threat merely by MHP. This is a reflection of the government's policy. This is the regime's policy. Everything they do, they do it together, and they will pay the price to the people together," Sancar said.

On Jan.5, the Constitutional Court 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 that is most likely to be held on May 14.