PERSECUTION OF KURDISH MPS

That this House expresses grave concern over the sentencing of elected Kurdish MP Idris Baluken on 4 January 2018 to 16 years and eight months in jail; notes that Mr Baluken has been an elected parliamentarian in Turkey since 2011, and has played an active role as a mediator in peace process negotiations between the Turkish state and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK); further expresses concern that on 5 January 2018 former MP Sebahat Tuncel was sentenced to two years and three months in prison for speaking at a Kurdish New Year event; further notes that Tuncel, a women's rights advocate and former nurse, was targeted for her advocacy for Kurdish rights and senior position in the Peoples' Democratic Party; expresses concern over the sentencing to prison of four other HDP officials and MPs Aysel Tugluk, Leyla Birlik, Nursel Aydoglan and Adem Geveri; condemns the political nature of these arrests and trials which took place in the context of a state of emergency, along with the simultaneous arrest of almost 100 HDP elected politicians and thousands of activists (EDM 602); condemns this attempt to eliminate Kurdish MPs from the Turkish parliament, denying millions of their democratic voice; expresses concern that the judiciary seems to be guided in these matters by the Turkish Government; notes that this judicial process has been described by Idris Baluken as political genocide; calls for the immediate release of HDP politicians from prison; and further calls for the Government to urge Turkey to stop its politically-motivated repression of the HDP.