Selahattin Demirtaş

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has announced that it will appoint its own candidate for the presidential elections slated for spring 2023.

The rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Türkiye are not fair and politically motivated, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said, underlining that his government will continue to take measures to improve the quality of judicial services for the Turkish people.

Supporters of the HDP shout slogans during their march against the arrest of pro-Kurdish People's Democtaric Party HDP parliamentarians in Istanbul, 18 June 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has criticized the government for imposing pressure on the oppositional municipalities and blocking their services to the people.

Turkish Gendarmerie clash with Kurdish demonstrators during a protest against Islamic State (IS) militants near Sanliurfa, Turkey, 07 October 2014. Photo: EPA/SEDAT SUNA

A little over half were arrested and the others were still being sought, the Ankara Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

Supporters of imprisoned Selahattin Demirtas, presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) hold up his picture in Istanbul, June 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

U.S.

Peoples' Democratic Party supporters at a rally in Geneva, April 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/SALVATORE DI NOLFI

"Regardless of whether the presidential candidate is affiliated with the HDP or not, we believe that we need to discuss principles and methods rather than the names of potential candidates,"  the HDP declaration said.

Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu. Photo: Gergerlioglu's personal archieve

"We are right, we are strong and we will win. We have won with resistance." Gergerlioglu said defiantly at a press conference held at the HDP headquarters in Ankara on Tuesday night.

Supporters shout slogans against the government at a march protesting the arrest of People's Democratic Party HDP parliamentarians in Istanbul, June 18, 2020. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

According to the HDP, the man fired several times, damaging the building and then took party staffer Deniz Poyraz hostage and later killed her.