Pro-Kurdish HDP party denounces Turkey’s arrest of its leadersNovember 5, 2016 - 11:33 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The pro-Kurdish HDP party in Turkey has denounced the arrest of its leaders as an attempt by the government to eradicate democracy, BBC News reports. The HDP said the arrests were a dark day for the country, as its supporters took to the streets in protest. HDP joint leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag are accused of spreading propaganda for militants fighting the Turkish state. They and 10 other HDP activists deny links to the PKK Kurdish rebel group. All were arrested for refusing to answer prosecutors' questions. Demirtas has won international support with his liberal politics, but critics say he has failed to distance the party sufficiently from the PKK. Hours after the arrest, a huge car bomb killed eight people and wounded more than 100 in the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir. Turkish authorities blamed the outlawed PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), but the group known as Islamic State later claimed the attack through its Amaq news agency. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |