Çağlar Demirel (born 29 July 1969, Kulp, Turkey[1]) is a Turkish politician of Kurdish origin and a former member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).[2]
Çağlar Demirel | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey | |
| In office 2015–2016 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 July 1969 Kulp, Diyarbakır |
| Political party | HDP |
| Alma mater | Dicle University |
Early life and education
editÇağlar Demirel was born the Kulp in the Diyarbakır province. She enrolled into the Dicle University where she studied nursing[3] and graduated in 1995.[2] Following, she was an adviser on health care for several women and governmental institutions in Turkey[2] and was involved in a variety of NGO's focusing on women's rights.[4]
Political career
editShe was elected as the Mayor of Derik, Mardin in the municipal elections of 2009 for the Democratic Society Party (DTP).[5] After DTP was banned in December 2009[6] she joined Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).[7] She was detained together with more than 100 other politicians of the BDP in October 2011 due to an investigation into the activities of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).[8] While in prison, she joined a hunger strike in protest of the detention conditions of Abdullah Öcalan, the detained leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).[9] She was elected to the Turkish parliament in the general elections of June 2015[10] and re-elected In the snap elections of November 2015, both times representing the HDP for Diarbakir.[11] Following, she became the vice-chair of the HDP parliamentarian group.[12] As such, she supported the peace process between the Turkish Government and the PKK.[13]
Legal prosecution
editOn the 14 December 2016 Bianet reported that Demirel was arrested and prosecuted for membership in propagandizing for a terrorist organization.[14] In July 2017, she was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months imprisonment for being a member of a terrorist organization.[15] On the 17 March 2021, the State Prosecutor before the Court of Cassation Bekir Şahin filed a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court demanding for Demirel and 686 other HDP politicians a five-year ban to engage in politics together with a closure of the HDP due to their alleged organizational links with the PKK.[16][4] In September 2021, the Court of Cassation ordered a retrial and Demirel was released.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Çağlar Demirel". www.tbmm.gov.tr. Archived from the original on 2016-03-24. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ a b c "ÇAĞLAR DEMİREL Haberleri - Yazılar, Videolar ve Galeri - Habertürk". haberturk. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ a b "Behind bars since 2016, HDP's Çağlar Demirel released". Bianet. 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-09-22.
- ^ a b "HDP indictment seeks political ban for 687 members, including Demirtaş, Buldan and Sancar". Bianet - Bagimsiz Iletisim Agi. Retrieved 2021-03-19.
- ^ "DERİK SEÇİM SONUÇLARI". secim.haberler.com. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ Arsu, Sebnem (2009-12-12). "Turkey Bans Kurdish Party (Published 2009)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "BDP'li Çağlar Demirel tutuklandı". Mardin Life (in Turkish). Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "English :: KCK Operation: 137 People in Custody". Bianet. 5 October 2011. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "Turkey-North Kurdistan News in brief. October 31, 2012". ekurd.net. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "Diyarbakır Seçim Sonuçları 2015 - Genel Seçim 2015". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). 2021-01-16. Archived from the original on 2015-10-22. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "1 Kasım Diyarbakır Seçim Sonuçları Son Durum". Sözcü. Archived from the original on 2021-01-22. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "The Arrest of HDP Deputies Ms. Çağlar Demirel and Ms. Besime Konca". hdp.org.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "Erdogan: Gov't never made deal with terror organization". Anadolu Ajansı. 24 April 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-04-25. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
- ^ "HDP Group Deputy Chair Çağlar Demirel Arrested". Bianet - Bagimsiz Iletisim Agi. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ SCF (2017-07-14). "Jailed HDP deputy Demirel given 90-month prison sentence on terror charges". Stockholm Center for Freedom. Retrieved 2021-01-16.
- ^ "Turkish prosecutor seeks political ban on 687 pro-Kurdish politicians". Gazete Duvar (in Turkish). 2021-03-18. Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-03-19.