Turkey's Patriotic (Vatan) Party on Tuesday appealed to the Supreme Court to order a ban on opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), citing the party's acts "against Turkey's independence and the indivisible integrity of the nation."
Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Nusret Senem, the deputy chairman of the Patriotic Party, recalled that they had requested the court two times previously, the last one in February.
"This party [HDP] made a declaration of autonomy in 2016. During their congress, they chanted separatist slogans declaring that they will found Kurdistan and made speeches praising [jailed PKK leader] Abdullah Öcalan. For this reason, we made our application in February," Senem said.
Senem also recalled that the HDP's regional administrations had dug ditches in the streets of the southeastern provinces and planted explosives in the heart of the cities.
"Hundreds of our people were killed, our soldiers and police officers were martyred," Senem said, and called on Turkish people not to vote for the HDP in the upcoming local elections in March.
Turkey's government has accused the HDP of having links to the PKK terror group.
Several HDP lawmakers have also been accused of attending the funerals of PKK terrorists.
In November 2016, the then HDP co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş along with 12 of his party lawmakers, were arrested pending trial for terrorism-related offenses after their parliamentary immunity was lifted in May 2016.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including women and children.
