DTP Vice President Nurettin Demirtas arrested
19
December 2007 - Press Release: For immediate release
The DTP Vice President Nurettin Demirtas was
arrested two days ago at the Ankara Airport when
returning from Europe. Demirtas is accused of having
forged documents in order to escape military service
in Turkey. It is expected that Demirtas will be
transferred to a military service base.
After having participated at the EUTCC conference,
EU Turkey and the Kurds, in the European Parliament,
Brussels, December 3-4 2007, Demirtas decided to
stay in Europe for a few weeks. Before returning to
Turkey Demirtas gave an interview to the news agency
Firat at the Düsseldorf airport where he strongly
condemned the recent air raids against PKK bases
carried out by the Turkish air force in the Qandil
Mountains of Kurdistan, Iraq. The attacks caused
death and huge material losses to civilians in the
region. Demirtas stated in the same interview that
the Kurdish question can not be solved by military
means; it has to be solved politically.
When receiving the news of the arrest of Mr.
Demirtas the chair of the EUTCC Kariane Westrheim
stated: “This is just another example of how Turkish
authorities try to marginalise DTP representatives
in Turkey. The ridiculous accusations against Mr.
Demirtas can only be read as a pretext for silencing
legally elected DTP politicians”.
EUTCC calls on the international community to
strongly condemn the detention of the DTP
Vice-president Nurettin Demirtas and urges for his
immediate and unconditional release.
For further information:
Kariane Westrheim & Hans Branscheidt, EUTCC, Board
of Directors
Menneskerettighetenes plass 1 - 5007 Bergen, Norway
- Telephone: +47 976 42 088
