December 18, 2009 - 19:20 AMT
Deputies pro-Kurdish party decided to stay in parliament
Deputies from Turkey's main pro-Kurdish party, which was banned last week, have decided to stay in parliament, the head of the party said on Friday.

The banned Democratic Society Party (DTP) chairman Ahmet Turk said they would join another pro-Kurdish party (BDP). Turk said democratic powers, intellectuals, authors and academic circles had underlined importance of being represented at the parliament in that process.

"Ocalan had a meeting with his lawyers on Wednesday, and Ocalan told his lawyers that it was not right to leave the parliament ground and continue this struggle, Turk also said, referring to PKK jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Earlier on Friday, BDP chairman Demir Celik called on the members of the outlawed DTP to continue their political life in their party.

The the Constitutional Court found the Democratic Society Party (DTP) guilty of links with PKK militants.

BDP was formed in 2008 after the court case against the DTP was opened and is regarded as a potential replacement in the case of a ban.