TURKEY’S pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) party announced a boycott of parliament yesterday over the arrest of its co-chairs and seven MPs.

In the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir, spokesman Ayhan Bilgen said the party will stop participating in parliamentary commissions and the parliamentary assembly.

“Our parliamentary group and central executive committee have decided, after lengthy discussions, to stop, during the most comprehensive and dark attack on democratic politics, our activities in parliament and once again return amongst our people,” he said.