🇹🇷 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Even Erdoğan backs the release of Turkeys brightest opposition leader. So why is he still in jail? | Kaya Genç
What happened
Selahattin Demirtaş, a prominent opposition leader, was imprisoned in 2015 on charges of "terrorist propaganda" after urging officials to open a corridor for aid to Kurdish fighters in Kobani, a northern Syrian town. Despite a 2025 European court of human rights ruling that his imprisonment was politically motivated, Demirtaş remains in jail. Local Turkish courts have refused to implement the ruling, and Demirtaş's wife was asked to return home after reportedly renting a room in a nearby hotel.
Why it matters
The case of Demirtaş's imprisonment has sparked widespread attention and debate about the state of democracy in Turkey, with some seeing his release as a potential shift towards a more pluralistic and democratic Turkey. His continued imprisonment has also raised concerns about the erosion of human rights and the suppression of dissenting voices. The situation remains uncertain, with hopes remaining alive for Demirtaş's freedom.
Key facts
- Demirtaş was imprisoned in 2015 on charges of "terrorist propaganda"
- He was sentenced to 42 years in total
- The European court of human rights ruled in 2025 that his imprisonment was politically motivated
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Publisher evidence used
Reporting attributed to theguardian.com. WorldLeadersNews links readers to the publisher and does not present a headline-only item as a full article analysis.
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