HDP co-heads make assets public

ANKARA

AFP photo

The co-chairs of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, have filed declarations of their property to the Turkish parliament.

The move came a day after Republican People’s Party (CHP) head Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu made the same move, while also declaring the properties of his spouse and his son.

The HDP announced Demirtaş’s initiative in a written statement released on Dec. 1. According to the statement, Demirtaş owns a house in his hometown Kayapınar in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır (worth 280,000 liras) and two automobiles - a Skoda (worth 55,000 liras) bought in 2013 and an Audi (worth 155,000 liras) bought in 2012. 

“Since there is no property registered on her name, Ms. Figen Yüksekdağ’s declaration form has been delivered as blank,” the HDP also stated.

The declaration showed that Demirtaş now owns same amount of properties that he held when he filed a similar declaration to parliament in July after the June 7 parliamentary election.

By making the declarations, it is thought that the opposition parties are seeking to put pressure on the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), many of whose senior members are criticized for lavish lifestyles.