On Sunday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan rejected calls from a close ally to release a prominent Kurdish opposition politician and philanthropist from prison.
Human rights activists, Western forces and some opposition parties urged the release of Saladin Demirtas and Osman Kavala, who were arrested in the aftermath of the 2016 coup attempt. They were joined on Thursday by former Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc, who now holds the presidency, by the High Consultative Council.
Kavala was acquitted in February of charges related to street protests in 2013 that threatened then-premier Erdogan's grip on power, but was re-arrested the same day on charges related to a failed coup in 2016, in which he denies any role.
In his remarks, Erdogan said that "the people who are currently at the disposal of the judiciary, who caused the deaths of thousands of our people, the people who are responsible for Kobani, cannot be defended by Tayyip Erdogan or his allies".
He also said he would never defend Kavala, whom he called the sponsor of the 2013 protests.
Erdogan promised this month that parliament would prioritise judicial reform next year.
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