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Key Erdogan Ally says releasing Selahattin Demirtaş would benefit Turkey
Devlet Bahçeli, the Turkish nationalist leader and main parliamentary ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has surprisingly suggested that releasing former pro-Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş from prison would be “useful” for Turkey. The statement, delivered before parliament, represents a shift in Bahçeli’s previous hardline stance toward Kurdish political movements.
Demirtaş, former leader of the pro-Kurdish HDP party (now DEM), was arrested in 2016 and has since become a symbol of political opposition. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has twice ruled that his detention was unlawful and demanded his immediate release, a decision Turkey long resisted. The country’s most recent appeal was rejected yesterday, leaving the legal path for Demirtaş’s release complete.
Bahçeli’s statement comes amid renewed discussions of Kurdish rights, following the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s decision to disarm and disband. “The legal path has been completed. His release would be beneficial for Turkey,” Bahçeli said, signaling a potential new chapter in Ankara’s approach to Kurdish political inclusion.
Despite years of judicial repression, the pro-Kurdish DEM party remains the third-largest force in the Turkish parliament, reflecting ongoing support among the country’s Kurdish population.