MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2023) The Spanish Foreign Ministry has issued a note of protest to Ankara over the detention and expulsion of ten Spanish citizens, including three members of parliament, who came to Turkey to observe the presidential election, Spanish news agency Europa Press reported on Tuesday, citing a diplomatic source.
�The ministry said in the note that the Spanish government was displeased with the fact that the Spanish citizens had been detained "without justification nor explanation," the source was quoted as saying.
Member of the Spanish left-wing Podemos party Ismael Cortes, member of the left-wing Basque nationalist EH Bildu party Jon Inarritu as well as an unnamed senator of the Republican Left of Catalonia are reportedly among those expelled.
The Podemos party said in a statement that all ten Spanish citizens had been observing elections in the Turkish city of Siirt when they were arrested by the Turkish police. After having been kept in custody all night without any explanation, they were escorted to Istanbul and sent from there to Spain. �
�On May 14, presidential and parliamentary elections took place in Turkey. The first round saw incumbent Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan win 49.51% of votes and his main competitor, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, 44.88%. A second round is set for May 28.
