Published September 19, 2017
Turkey's pro-Kurdish political party has announced the release from prison of one of their lawmakers pending a trial on terror charges.
Ayhan Bilgen, a former spokesman for the People's Democratic Party, or HDP, was released Friday, according to the party's current spokesman, Osman Baydemir.
State-run Anadolu news agency said that Bilgen is facing up to 23 years in prison for three separate crimes after being detained in January for alleged membership of a terror organization.
Following Bilgen's release, 11 HDP legislators, including the party's co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksedag, remain in Turkish prisons, according to the HDP.
The Turkish government accuses the party of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. The HDP denies the accusation.
Turkey and its Western allies consider the PKK a terrorist organization.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/turkish-court-releases-pro-kurdish-lawmaker-from-jail