Turkey releases former co-leader of main pro-Kurdish party

Turkey on Tuesday released the former co-leader of the main pro-Kurdish party, the group said. Serpil Kemalbay of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) was detained over her opposition to Ankara’s offensive in northern Syria. Police arrested Kemalbay in Ankara on February 13, two days after she handed over her job to a successor, AFP reported. Kemalbay still faces charges and has been placed under judicial control, an HDP official said. According to Turkish media, Kemalbay had been taken into custody over calls for protests against the cross-border operation dubbed ‘Olive Branch’ launched last month. The HDP, the third-largest party in parliament, has been hit by arrests of its leaders and supporters on accusations of backing the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which the party denies.