Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP opts against withdrawing from parliament over removed mayors but calls for early election
Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition party on November 20 called for an early election but said it had opted against a plan to withdraw its MPs from parliament to protest against the government's dismissal of dozens of its mayors who were elected earlier this year.
Authorities have removed 24 mayors of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) since August, replacing them with government appointees. They took the action after claiming links to terrorism that threatened national security.
Several HDP members urged the party to withdraw from the parliament or from local assemblies which the party still controls.
The HDP said in a statement that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ultra-nationalist ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), were "stealing the will of the peoples" by appointing trustees in place of the mayors.
"We say 'early election' for the peoples of Turkey to be rid of the AKP-MHP authority. This is a call for confrontation. We're saying bring it on," the party said.
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