NEW LEADERS FOR PRO-KURDISH OPPOSITION PARTY
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition elected new co-presidents Sunday, following a crackdown on the party for alleged terror links that led to the jailing of one of its leaders.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party or HDP — the secondlargest opposition party in the Turkish parliament — unanimously elected lawmaker Pervin Buldan, above left, and deputy co-chair Sezai Temelli, above right, amid heavy security in Ankara. Buldan was picked to replace jailed HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtas, who has been behind bars since November 2016 pending trial on terror charges for alleged links to outlawed Kurdish militants. Prosecutors are seeking a 142-year prison sentence if he is convicted of leading a terror organization, engaging in terror propaganda and other crimes.