Constitutional Court rejects HDP's request to plead after the elections

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The Constitutional Court (AYM) rejected today (March 22) the request by the People's Democracy Party (HDP), threatened with a closure case at the supreme court, to postpone their plea date in the case to a date after the elections.

The presidential and parliamentary elections are to be held on May 14 in Turkey and HDP is to plead at the court on April 11.

The party had requested that the plea date should be postponed three months further to a date after the elections.

HDP will now plead at the supreme court on April 11, 2023.

The Constitutional Court had scheduled that HDP officials should plead on March 14 before. Upon the request of the party, additional time was given and the plead date was postponed to April 11.

On the same day, the request by HDP to lift the blocking of the treasury aid funds was also accepted.

HDP closure case

The Court of Cassation launched an inquiry against HDP on March 2, 2021, and the Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation Bekir Şahin applied to the Constitutional Court on March 17, 2021, demanding the closure of the HDP and many of its members banned from politics.

A two-thirds majority, or votes of 10 of the 15 Constitutional Court members, are necessary to close the party or to impose other sanctions on the party, such as wholly or partially depriving it of public aid.

Those who have been imposed a political ban will not be able to be founders, members, executives, or supervisors of any other political party for five years. (ME/PE)