Devlet Bahçeli, leader of Turkey’s ruling party’s far-right ally the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), slammed the Constitutional Court (AYM) on Saturday for lifting the block on the treasury accounts of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
The MHP leader described the AYM’s Friday ruling regarding the HDP’s accounts, in which the party receives state funding for the elections, as “recklessness” and protested against the court saying, “The AYM is not a court for the Turkish nation,” in a speech at the headquarters of his party.
Bahçeli said that one of the main goals after the 14 May elections of the People’s Alliance, in which the MHP and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) are the main players, is a new constitution.
“The principles of formulation and trial of the Constitutional Court should be radically changed, and its devastating existing structure, which offers olive branches to traitors, should be completely eliminated,” he added.
Bahçeli had previously stated that the Constitutional Court should be closed down after the court found the indictment of the Chief Prosecutor in the closure case against the HDP “duly incomplete and incorrect.”
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.
The HDP lodged an application to AYM on 16 January for an adjournment of the closure case. However, on 26 January, the court unanimously rejected that application.