Selahattin Demirtaş facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Selahattin Demirtaş
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| Chairman of the Peoples' Democratic Party | |
| In office 22 June 2014 – 11 February 2018 Serving with Serpil Kemalbay
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| Preceded by | Ertuğrul Kürkçü |
| Succeeded by | Sezai Temelli |
| Co-chair of the Peace and Democracy Party | |
| In office 1 February 2010 – 22 April 2014 Serving with Gültan Kışanak
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| Preceded by | Mustafa Ayzit Demir Çelik |
| Succeeded by | Party abolished See Democratic Regions Party |
| Member of the Grand National Assembly | |
| In office 22 July 2007 – 7 July 2018 |
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| Constituency | Diyarbakır (2007) Hakkari (2011) Istanbul (I) Jun 2015, Nov 2015 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 April 1973 Palu, Elazığ, Turkey |
| Political party | Democratic Society Party (Before 2008) Peace and Democracy Party (2008–2014) Peoples' Democratic Party (2014–2020) |
| Spouse |
Başak Demirtaş
(m. 2002) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Nurettin Demirtaş (brother) |
| Alma mater | Ankara University |
Selahattin Demirtaş (born 10 April 1973) is a Kurdish politician, lawyer, and author from Turkey. He was a co-leader of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). This party focuses on left-wing and pro-Kurdish ideas. He served alongside Figen Yüksekdağ from 2014 to 2018. Selahattin Demirtaş announced he would leave politics after the May 2023 elections.
Demirtaş ran for president as the HDP candidate in 2014. He came in third place. He helped the HDP gain 13.1% of the votes in the June 2015 parliament elections. In the November 2015 elections, the party got 10.7% of the votes. He has been in prison since November 4, 2016. Even while in prison, the HDP chose him as their candidate for the 2018 presidential election. He ran his campaign from prison.
In December 2020, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said that his continued detention had a "political purpose." They noted the timing, which was during important elections.
Contents
Early Life and School
Selahattin Demirtaş was born in Palu, Turkey, in 1973. He finished his primary and secondary school there. In 1991, he started studying maritime business at Dokuz Eylül University. He had to leave this school early due to political issues.
He returned to Diyarbakır and took the university entrance exam again in 1993. After that, he started studying law at Ankara University.
Working as a Lawyer
After finishing law school, Demirtaş worked as a lawyer on his own. In 2000, he joined the Human Rights Association (IHD) in Diyarbakır. He became the head of the Diyarbakır IHD in 2004. During his time as head, the association focused on solving cases of political murders in Turkey.
Starting in Politics
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Demirtaş has said that a funeral he attended in 1991 was a turning point for him. He realized that being Kurdish was a part of his identity. He felt this was also his problem to solve.
He began his political journey with the Democratic Society Party (DTP) in 2007. He was one of the "Thousand Hope Candidates" for the DTP. He was elected to the Turkish Parliament at age 34. He became the party's main officer in Parliament. He supported allowing education in the Kurdish language. He also asked for equal rights for Turks and Kurds in the Turkish constitution.
The DTP party was closed down in 2009. This happened because of claims it was linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). DTP members of Parliament then moved to the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). In 2010, the BDP chose Selahattin Demirtaş and Gültan Kışanak as its new co-chairs. Demirtaş was re-elected to Parliament in 2011.
A Leader in Opposition
Peace Talks in 2013
Demirtaş was a co-chair of the BDP when peace talks began in Turkey. These talks aimed to resolve conflicts. He was one of the politicians who met with Abdullah Öcalan during these negotiations.
Running for President in 2014
In 2014, Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ became co-chairs of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). This new party was formed from different groups. Demirtaş ran as one of three candidates in the 2014 presidential elections. He hoped to attract voters who supported left-wing ideas. He finished third, with 9.77% of the votes.
Local Elections in 2014
Demirtaş emphasized that gender equality was very important for his party. He announced that a female mayor was planned for Diyarbakır. In the local elections of 2014, Gültan Kışanak became the Mayor of Diyarbakır. Februniye Akyol became the Co-Mayor of Mardin.
General Elections in June 2015
Demirtaş was a co-leader during the June 2015 Turkish general election. This was the HDP's first time running in a general election. The HDP came in fourth place with 13.12% of the votes. This was the first time the party passed the 10% electoral threshold needed to enter Parliament. They sent 80 representatives to Parliament.
Many saw Demirtaş as a winner of this election. His party did better than expected. People celebrated the HDP's success. Demirtaş said: "From now on, the HDP is Turkey's party."
Peace Talks End
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In July 2015, the peace talks between the government and the PKK ended. Demirtaş said that the government's party (AKP) ended the talks. He believed this was because they lost votes in the June election. He said the AKP started fighting again. In July 2015, Demirtaş spoke against violence from all sides. He called for more local control in South-East Turkey.
March to Cizre
In September 2015, authorities put a curfew on the city of Cizre. HDP members of Parliament, including Demirtaş, tried to march to Cizre. But authorities stopped them, citing safety concerns. He was allowed into the city only after the curfew ended on September 12.
General Election in November 2015
In August 2015, new general elections were announced for November. This was two months after the June elections. The HDP, led by Demirtaş, came third. They got 10.7% of the votes, just passing the 10% threshold to be in Parliament.
Presidential Campaign 2016 to 2018
In May 2016, the Turkish Parliament removed the special protection for some HDP politicians. This included the HDP leaders.
After a coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016, Demirtaş said he was against it. He stated that the attempt showed Turkey still lacked full democracy.
On November 4, 2016, Demirtaş was arrested. Other HDP members of Parliament were also arrested. They were accused of supporting groups fighting the Turkish state. Demirtaş stated that he was not a "manager, member, spokesperson, or sympathizer" of the PKK. He repeatedly spoke against violence from both the PKK and the Turkish military. He said, "No one has anything to win from a civil war in Turkey."
Demirtaş was officially announced as the HDP candidate for the presidential election on May 4, 2018. He ran his campaign from prison. He received 8.4% of the votes.
Legal Situation and Detention
His Arrest and Why
Demirtaş was arrested on November 4, 2016. The accusations against him were related to a public statement he made in October 2014. This statement called for protests against the government's actions during the Islamic State (IS) attack on Kobane. The HDP was blamed for the Kobanî protests in 2014. These protests led to many deaths. The HDP had asked for an investigation into these events, but it was not approved.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan blamed Demirtaş for causing the protests. He said that all Kurdish people are citizens of Turkey. Demirtaş has always said he is against violence from all sides.
Main Legal Cases
On September 7, 2018, he was sentenced to 4 years and 8 months. This was for a speech he made at a Newroz celebration in 2013.
European Court of Human Rights Rulings
On November 20, 2018, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said Demirtaş should be released. They also ordered Turkey to pay him money. However, a Turkish court ruled on November 30, 2018, that he should remain in prison. They said the ECHR ruling was not final.
On December 22, 2020, the ECHR again told Turkey to release Selahattin Demirtaş. The Court said that removing his parliamentary protection and keeping him in prison was politically motivated. This happened after the ruling party lost its majority in Parliament.
Other Legal Cases
On March 17, 2021, a prosecutor asked for Demirtaş and other HDP politicians to be banned from politics for five years. This was part of a request to close the HDP party.
A few days later, on March 22, 2021, Demirtaş was sentenced to three years and six months in prison. This was for comments he made about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
His Time in Prison
Since November 4, 2016, he has been held in a prison in Edirne. This town is far from Diyarbakır, where his family lives. His wife visits him once a week. The ECHR has said that his arrest in 2016 violated his freedom of speech. They also said it violated his right to participate in elections.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his visitor rights were limited. In November 2022, he was allowed to visit his father in a hospital in Diyarbakir. After the short visit, he was taken back to Edirne. His cellmate for years was Abdullah Zeydan. Later, Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı, the arrested mayor of Diyarbakir, became his new cellmate.
Personal Life
Demirtaş is of Zaza origin and speaks the Zaza language. He has described himself as "Kurdish Zaza."
Demirtaş is married to Başak Demirtaş. They have two daughters, Delal and Dılda. His parents are Tahir and Sadiye Demirtaş. He has six brothers and sisters.
Demirtaş has faced threats because of his political work. On November 22, 2015, he survived an attempt on his life.
Elections He Participated In
Presidential Elections
| Election date | Votes | Percentage of votes | Political party | Map |
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| 2014 | 3,958,048 | 9.76% | Peoples' Democratic Party | |
| 2018 | 4,205,794 | 8.40% | N/A |
Parliamentary Elections
| Election date | Votes | Percentage of votes | Partner | Political party | Map |
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| 2015 June | 6,058,489 | 13.12% | Figen Yüksekdağ | Peoples' Democratic Party |  |
| 2015 November | 5,148,085 | 10.76% |  |
Local Elections
| Election date | Votes | Percentage of votes | Political party | Map |
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| 2014 | 2,611,127 | 6.29% | Peace and Democracy Party
Peoples' Democratic Party |
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Awards
In November 2019, the Progressive Alliance gave him their Political Courage Award. His wife, Başak Demirtaş, accepted the award because he was still in prison.
In 2022, he received the Political Courage Award from the Institute François Mitterrand. Hişyar Özsoy from the HDP accepted this award for him.
Images for kids
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Selahattin Demirtaş
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Selahattin Demirtaş's election campaign logo
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Demirtaş meeting with the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz in 2013
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Votes obtained by Demirtaş throughout the 81 Provinces of Turkey in the 2014 presidential election
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Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, November 2015 Turkish general election
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Demirtas in Cizre
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2014 Turkish Presidential Election-Demirtaş
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HDP 2015 density
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HDP 2015 November
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2014 Turkish local elections BDP & HDP
See also
In Spanish: Selahattin Demirtaş para niños
