The Turkish Constitutional Court (AYM) in a majority vote on Thursday reversed a January ruling to block the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) treasury funds brought in as part of the closure case against the pro-Kurdish party.
The lift on the HDP’s treasury accounts came right after another AYM ruling that granted the opposition party more time to present an oral defence in the closure case.
Under the January ruling, the second-largest opposition party in the country was temporarily unable to access budgeted 2023 treasury support funds.
The closure case against the HDP is based on an indictment prepared by the Court of Cassation in June 2021 over alleged ties to terrorism. Prosecutor Bekir Şahin argued in his petition that the HDP “maintained organic ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)” and said Treasury resources were “being transferred to the terrorist organisation”. The party has denied all charges and called the prosecutor’s allegations “baseless”.
If the closure case is successful, almost 500 top officials including current MPs will be banned from holding office and possibly face criminal charges.
HDP on 16 January lodged an application to AYM for adjournment of the closure case. However, on 26 January, the court unanimously rejected the application.