A court in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakır has postponed the trial of former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, citing procedural deficiencies and pending appeals in related cases. Demirtaş faces up to 15 years in prison and a political ban over public remarks made in 2016.
Despite two separate rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) finding violations in his detention, Demirtaş has been imprisoned for nearly nine years at the Edirne F-Type High-Security Prison. The charges in this case stem from his speeches during a press statement, political rally, and televised interview in 2016.
He is accused of multiple offenses, including:
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Publicly insulting the Republic of Turkey, its government, judiciary, police and military institutions
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Inciting hatred and enmity among the public
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Openly inciting others to commit crimes
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Praising crime and criminals
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Organizing or participating in unlawful meetings and demonstrations
The first hearing was held at the Diyarbakır 18th Criminal Court of First Instance. Demirtaş did not attend and submitted a written statement declaring his wish not to participate in the proceedings. His lawyer, Mahsuni Karaman, was present in court. Journalists and police officers also observed the hearing.
Lawyer: Multiple cases violate legal procedure
In his defense statement, attorney Karaman emphasized that Demirtaş is facing at least 12 separate cases under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (insulting the state), many of which were consolidated in the southern city of Mersin. However, additional charges based on similar statements have also been filed in Batman and Diyarbakır, which Karaman said is problematic in light of laws concerning successive offenses.
Karaman referred to previous rulings by Turkey’s Court of Cassation and regional appellate courts, which have called for the unification of such cases under Article 83 of the Constitution, which grants lawmakers parliamentary immunity for political statements. He argued that since the latest alleged violation occurred in Diyarbakır, the case should be merged with the file already being heard there. He also requested the court to wait for the conclusion of the Mersin case, which is currently under appellate review.
Court to wait for appeal outcomes
The prosecutor asked the court to resolve procedural deficiencies in the case file. Following deliberations, the court ruled to await the appellate outcomes of related cases being reviewed by the Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court and the Mersin 14th Criminal Court of First Instance. The court stated that the possibility of merging the cases would be considered after those decisions are issued.
The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2026.
