A Solidarity Motion by UK Parliament

An Early day motion on political and human rights situation in Turkey was tabled by UK MPs. Early day motion 653 tabled on November 7, 2016 by 44 UK MPs from several political parties:

POLITICAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN TURKEY

That this House is gravely concerned by the arrest and imprisonment of Members of Parliament from the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), including the HDP Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yüksekdag, in Turkey on 4 November 2016; agrees with the statement from the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, that these arrests compromise parliamentary democracy in Turkey; notes that hundreds of other Kurdish members and officials from HDP and the pro-Kurdish Democratic Regions Party (DBP) have also been detained and imprisoned in recent months; further notes that since the attempted coup in Turkey in July 2016, President Erdogan and the Turkish government have imposed greater restrictions on the freedom of expression and the freedom of the press, as well as threatened the independence of the judiciary; believes that the current situation in Turkey is undermining democracy and the chances of resolving the Kurdish issue; urges the Turkish authorities to respect the rule of law and the fundamental rights of all of its citizens, including Kurds, Alevis and other minority groups; and calls on the Government and the Council of Europe to make representations to the Turkish government expressing serious concern at the imprisonment of the HDP MPs, the suspension of provisions within the European Convention on Human Rights and President Erdogan's support for the reintroduction of the death penalty.

Signatories:

Hilary Benn, Labour Party
Phil Boswell, Scottish National Party
Deidre Brock, Scottish National Party
Alan Brown, Scottish National Party
Joanna Cherry, Scottish
Neil Coyle, Labour Party
Stella Creasy, Labour Party
Jim Cunningham, Labour Party
Jim Dowd, Labour Party
Mark Durkan, Social Democratic and Labour Party
Jonathan Edwards, Plaid Cymru
Marion Fellows, Scottish National Party
Jim Fitzpatrick, Labour Party
Robert Flello, Labour Party
Caroline Flint, Labour Party
Stephen Gethins, Scottish National Party
Helen Goodman, Labour Party
Drew Hendry, Scottish National Party
Kelvin Hopkins, Labour Party
Stewart Hosie, Scottish National Party
David Lammy, Labour Party
Chris Law, Scottish National Party
Caroline Lucas, Green Party
Angus MacNeil, Scottish National Party
Siobhain McDonagh, Labour Party
Alasdair McDonnell, Social Democratic and Labour Party
Natalie McGarry, INDEPENDENT
Conor McGinn, Labour Party
Anne McLaughlin, Scottish National Party
Alan Meale, Labour Party
Roger Mullin, Scottish National Party
John Nicolson, Scottish National Party
Toby Perkins, Labour Party
Marie Rimmer, Labour Party
Joan Ryan, Labour Party
Alex Salmond, Scottish National Party
Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru
Jim Shannon, Democratic Unionist Party
Tommy Sheppard, Scottish National Party
Dennis Skinner, Labour Party
John Spellar, Labour Party
Christopher Stephens, Scottish National Party
Wes Streeting, Labour Party
Owen Thompson, Scottish National Party

Source: https://www.parliament.uk/edm/2016-17/653