THE ARREST OF MPS
The arrest of two MPs from People’s Democratic Party (HDP) (a political party close to the PKK terrorist organization) on charges of terrorism, and Enis Berberoglu, an MP from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) on charges of espionage, sparked a heated debate in the country.
Appeals courts upheld the convictions of Leyla Guven and Musa Farisogullari from the HDP, and Enis Berberoglu from the CHP, on Thursday.
Guven and Farisogullari were arrested and put in separate prisons, the CHP member Berberoglu was first arrested but has been released from prison later on, due to Covid-19 measures.
Parliamentary immunities of these three MPs were stripped away before their arrest.
The HDP is known to be affiliated with the PKK, which is on the designated list of terrorist organizations in many countries, including Turkey.
Many HDP members and leaders have already been arrested for their ties with the PKK. Now, Guven and Farisogullari are also convicted of involvement with a violent terrorist organization.
While the arrests of these HDP leaders resonated positively within the government party, predictions of HDP being banned from politics for their ties with the PKK have been circulated in the press.
The earlier release of CHP Deputy Leader Enis Berberoglu, who was arrested by the charges of publishing classified information about the MIT(National Intelligence Organization in Turkey), had resonated positively in government and opposition groups in terms of relaxing the political atmosphere throughout the country. That energy has now been reversed.
There are some predictions of a possible early election as a result of the political climate created by the arrest of those MPs.
THE END OF THE CONFLICT IN LIBYA?
Last week, another important subject of debate in Turkey was the last events that took place in Libya.
The military victory of Turkish-supported Government of National Accord against General Haftar’s forces resonated positively in Ankara.
Immediately after the GNA’s military success, a call to a ceasefire by the Egyptian President al-Sisi in Cairo, General Haftar and Aguila Saleh, was carefully evaluated by Ankara, their attitude developing according to the upcoming trends in the region.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s meeting with GNA authorities in Moscow were also celebrated in Ankara.
Ankara is pleased with the military victory, but also aware that diplomatic steps must eventually be taken.
In this context, the issue of whether there will be an understanding between Turkey and Russia in Libya is one of the main topics being discussed in Ankara.
The political situation seems to be heating up along with the summer weather, both in Turkey and the rest of the world.