Turkey: Whether the People's Democracy Party (Halkin Demokrasi Partisi, HADEP) continued unofficially after its ban in March 2003; whether the Democratic People's Party (Demokratik Halk Partisi, DEHAP) or Democratic Society Party (Democratik Toplum Partisi, DTP) were informally referred to as HADEP

Sources indicate that the People's Democracy Party (Halkin Demokrasi Partisi, HADEP) did not continue in an unofficial capacity after it was banned by the Turkish Constitutional Court in March 2003 (Assistant Professor, Loyola 23 Feb. 2010; Associate Professor, SFSU 23 Feb. 2010; HADEP 22 Feb. 2010). According to two academic sources, the majority of HADEP's members joined the Democratic People's Party (Demokratik Halk Partisi, DEHAP) and later the Democratic Society Party (Demokratik Toplum Partisi, DTP) (Assistant Professor, Loyola 23 Feb. 2010; Associate Professor, SFSU 23 Feb. 2010). In 23 February 2010 correspondence with the Research Directorate, an assistant professor of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago, who specializes in Kurdish politics in Turkey, stated that there were no major splits following the ban of HADEP; other than the 46 HADEP members who were banned from any political activity for five years (see also RFE/RL 13 Mar. 2003), the core group of HADEP supporters continued political activity in DEHAP and later in DTP. Sources indicate that HADEP was not known to have held any events following its ban; instead DEHAP carried on with organizing activities and events (Assistant Professor, Loyola 23 Feb. 2010; Associate Professor, SFSU 23 Feb. 2010; HADEP 22 Feb. 2010).

When HADEP was banned, the court allowed the Turkish government to take possession of HADEP's assets (Assistant Professor, Loyola 23 Feb. 2010; RFE/RL 13 Mar. 2003; HADEP 22 Feb. 2010). In a telephone interview with the Research Directorate on 22 February 2010, the former Coordinator of the International Relations Department of HADEP stated that HADEP, as well as other Kurdish parties, usually rented their offices; in a number of cases, DEHAP leased the same office or building that HADEP had previously leased since people were already familiar with its location. Two academic sources indicate that most HADEP offices and buildings switched from HADEP to DEHAP after the ban (Assistant Professor, Loyola 23 Feb. 2010; Associate Professor, SFSU 23 Feb. 2010). In 23 February 2010 correspondence with the Research Directorate, an associate professor of Political Science at San Francisco State University (SFSU) stated that DEHAP used the same offices as HADEP had in Ankara and Diyarbakir (Associate Professor, SFSU 23 Feb. 2010). The former Coordinator of the International Relations Department of HADEP also noted that the building that housed HADEP's party headquarters in Ankara was later used by DEHAP, then DTP, and then the Peace and Democracy Party (Baris ve Demokasi Partisi, BDP) (HADEP 22 Feb. 2010).

Sources indicate that people sometimes confused the names or acronyms of HADEP and DEHAP (Assistant Professor, Loyola 23 Feb. 2010; Associate Professor, SFSU 23 Feb. 2010; HADEP 22 Feb. 2010). The Assistant Professor at Loyola University Chicago stated that because of the frequency of bans targeting Kurdish nationalist parties in Turkey, people may carry on using the names of banned parties when talking about new parties (Assistant Professor, Loyola 23 Feb. 2010). The former Coordinator of the International Relations Department of HADEP also noted that many supporters continued to use the old name or acronym informally since it was more familiar to them and since the names and acronyms of the new parties were similar (HADEP 22 Feb. 2010). The Associate Professor at SFSU stated that although people sometimes mixed them up, in general people used the DEHAP acronym (Associate Professor, SFSU 23 Feb. 2010). The Associate Professor at SFSU noted that people were used to changing the name of parties, due to the frequency of bans, and that HADEP itself was a reformation of other banned parties (ibid.). She indicated that people would occasionally use HADEP to refer to pro-Kurdish parties more generally, but that this was rare (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Assistant Professor of Political Science, Loyola University Chicago. 23 February 2010. Correspondence.

Associate Professor of Political Science, San Francisco State University (SFSU). 23 February 2010. Correspondence.

Halkin Demokrasi Partisi (People's Democracy Party, HADEP). 22 February 2010. Telephone interview with the former Coordinator of the International Relations Department .

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). 13 March 2003. Jean-Christophe Peuch. "Turkey: Court Ruling Over Kurdish Group Could Embarrass Ruling Party." [Accessed 23 Feb. 2010]

Additional Sources Consulted

Internet sites, including: Amnesty International (AI), Council of Europe, European Country of Origin Information Network (ecoi.net), Factiva, Freedom House, Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, Kurdish Human Rights Project, Office of the United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) RefWorld.