Gulen-linked org’s statement on Turkish Govt’s arrest of pro-Kurdish Parliamentarians

Co-leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP)
Co-leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP)


Date posted: November 15, 2016

AfSV Statement on Turkish Government’s Arrest of HDP Parliamentarians 

Erdogan’s Persecutions Underscore Authoritarian Slide

New York (November 9, 2016) – The Alliance for Shared Values is deeply concerned about the arrests of nine members of Turkish Parliament from the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP), including the party’s co-chairs Mr. Selahattin Demirtas and Ms. Figen Yuksekdag. Restricting the freedoms of members of the Turkish Parliament only hinders efforts to prevent terrorism by cutting off a peaceful means of expressing opposition.

Following the deadly, failed July 15 coup attempt, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s regime has systematically targeted all critics, including secularists, liberals, Kurds, nationalists and Hizmet sympathizers, all under the pretense of an extended “state of emergency.” The arrests of the members of the Turkish Parliament only exacerbate the overwhelming slide by President Erdogan toward authoritarianism.

Since the failed July coup attempt, tens of thousands of citizens, mostly civilians, have been fired from their jobs and many lost their professional licenses and even college diplomas. Independent media is now nonexistent in Turkey, as the government has taken control of any news outlet critical of the president or his government. In addition, 35,000 innocent people have been detained without just cause and their assets have been frozen or seized. We urge the authorities to conduct their legal proceedings within the standards of the international agreements Turkey has ratified. Turkey must restore its rule of law, the freedom of the press and the vitality of its democratic institutions.

About Alliance for Shared Values

The Alliance for Shared Values (AFSV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves as a voice for dialogue organizations affiliated with Hizmet, a civil society movement inspired by prominent preacher and peace advocate Fethullah Gülen. Based in New York, the Alliance strives to promote peace and to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against any or all ethnic, cultural and religious communities. To learn more about the Alliance please visit www.afsv.org.

 

Media contact:

Tel: +1.212.682.4278 or media@afsv.org

Source: Alliance for Shared Values , November 9, 2016

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Failed coup in Turkey hits Albany’s Turkish Cultural Center

A failed military coup in Turkey in July continues to reverberate locally with the layoff of the only paid employee at the Turkish Cultural Center of Albany and cuts in its programs, which include language and cooking classes.

Reaction mounts against PM’s witch-hunt remarks

Politicians, members of the judiciary and journalists have spoken out against threatening remarks by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who stated that the government will carry out a witch hunt against followers of a faith-based group [Hizmet movement].

U.N. rights chief questions due process in Turkey purges

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights voiced deep concern on Monday at mass arrests and sackings of public employees in Turkey and the renewed state of emergency there, saying a “climate of fear” now reigned.

Rounding up the ISIS collaborators, in Turkey and Kurdistan

As U.S., Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish forces close in on Mosul, there is hope that the military campaign can force ISIS out of Iraqi territory. Of course, there are many questions still unresolved, for example, about how to pick up the pieces in Mosul.

Pro-gov’t circles intensify hypocritical propaganda targeting Gülen movement

The pro-government media and Justice and Development Party (AK Party) circles continue to use hypocritical language against the faith-based Gülen movement — popularly known as the Hizmet movement — inspired by the views of Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, in propaganda both abroad and at home.

Cagaptay: Turkey moves far beyond Europe

Recently, visiting Istanbul, I attended a conference on the Arab Spring organized by Abant Platform, a local NGO that gathers Turkish intellectuals of different stripes for policy debates. The conference – this time with attendees from Washington, Tel Aviv, London, St. Petersburg and Arab capitals in addition to Turks – debated Turkey’s leadership role in […]

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Turkey-China seek new gateway for business at Tuskon meeting

Turkish Olympiad Finals add a festive air to Kiev

[Erdogan’s] Turken Foundation: A Wolf in the Neighborhood [in the US]

African Initiative on Education for Peace and Development through Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue

PM continues war he already lost

Erdoğan’s propagandist think tanks

Sarıgül’s first election promise: to protect İstanbul’s historic skyline

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News