Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (cabinet.gov.krd) – In a statement, Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, called for the release of the co-presidents and a number of Parliamentarians of the Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party, HDP, after their arrest in Turkey.

He also called for “launching a peaceful process to reach a genuine solution, that would serve the interest of all parties in Turkey.”

Following is Prime Minister Barzani’s statement:

We express our concern regarding the arrest of the co-presidents of the Peoples Democratic Party, HDP, and a number of parliamentarians of this legal party of Turkey. We believe that this move could further complicate the situation in Turkey. 

We call for their release, dealing with the situation calmly and respecting the will of the voters who elected them. Furthermore, we urge HDP, as a legal party, to act within the framework of Turkey’s laws.

Meanwhile, we condemn the recent blast in Diyarbakir, which claimed the lives of a number of civilians and police officers. 

We call for launching a peaceful process to reach a genuine solution, that would serve the interest of all parties in Turkey.

Nechirvan Barzani
Prime Minister of Kurdistan Region