ANKARA - The Constitutional Court decided on Thursday to close down People's Democracy Party (HADEP) on charges that it became the center of acts against inseparable integrity of the country and nation by aiding and abetting the terrorist organization PKK besides several other acts.
The court banned 46 people, including former HADEP leader Murat Bozlak, from politics for five years.
Constitutional Court Chairman Mustafa Bumin said that the lawsuit was filed on January 29, 1999 and that the indictment referred to some lawsuits filed in State Security Courts (DGMs). Therefore, Bumin noted, the closure case lasted long.
Bumin later announced their decision. Below is the decision of the court delegation:
1- HADEP has became a center of acts against inseparable integrity of the country and nation by aiding and abetting the terrorist organization PKK besides several other acts. Therefore, it should be closed down under articles 101 and 103 of the Political Parties Law and 68 and 69 of the Constitution.
2- Members of the party namely Murat Bozlak, Hikmet Fidan, Kemal Bulbul, Kemal Okutan, Kudret Gozutok, Esref Odabasi, Recep Doganer, Mehmet Satan, Hamit Geylani, Mehmet Selim Okcuoglu, Hayri Ates, Hasan Dogan, Mehmet Yucedag, Arif Atalay, Huseyin Duran, Ismail Minkara, Hamza Abay, Yilmaz Acikyuz, Muharrem Bulbul, Serhat Inan, Guven Ozata, Kadir Bedir, Haci Pamuk, Ismail Turap, Abuzer Aslan, Riza Kilinc, Sukru Karadag, Ramazan Sertkaya, Mehmet Mansur Resitoglu, Hediyetullah Ulgen, Mehmet Emin Bayar, Suzan Erdogan, Halime Koklutas, Mehmet Yardimciel, Semistan Agbaba, Zeki Kilicgedik, Sakine Berktas, Hasan Yildirim, Beser Kaplan, Hidir Berktas, Sabri Sel, Ferhat Avci, Yasar Ucar, Ali Gelgec, Veysel Turhan, and Abuzer Yavas can't be a founder, member, administrator and inspector of another party for five years after the reasoned verdict is issued in the Official Gazette under the ninth paragraph of the article 69 of the Constitution.
3- The legal entity of the party will end on the date when the verdict is announced.
4- All assets of the party will be transferred to the Treasury under the article 107 of the Political Parties Law.
5- The verdict will be notified to the Prime Ministry and Chief Prosecutor's Office for fulfillment of the requirements under article 107 of the Political Parties Law.
The decision is signed by Bumin, Deputy Chairman Hasim Kilic, and members Yalcin Acargun, Sacit Adali, Ali Huner, Fulya Kantarcioglu, Ertugrul Ersoy, Tulay Tugcu, Ahmet Akyalcin, Enis Tunga and Mehmet Erten.

Bumin told reporters that ''an act, an act to back terrorism is in question here, we are not only talking about some statements.''
When a reporter said that closure of political parties became more difficult after the amendments to the Constitution and Political Parties Law and referred to his statements that he was not warm towards closure of parties and asked how he evaluated the decision of the Constitutional Court to close down HADEP unanimously, Bumin said, ''there is a situation which you don't pay attention to. I mentioned aid and assistance to the terrorist organization when I listed the reasons for the closure. The documents in the file prove de facto aid and assistance to the terrorist organization. Almost all of the people whose names are mentioned in our decision have been sentenced to imprisonment but their punishment has been suspended under the law no 4616 or their punishment has become definite. We are talking about an act to back terrorism, we are not only talking about some statements.''
Replying to another question, Bumin said that the heaviest sanction was closure within the terms of the Constitution and the Political Parties Law.